NASA DSN 31 station at Cebreros in the 1970s

As an additional hedge against the possible closure of the Johannesburg station, NASA authorized a second deep space station in Spain and installed it at Cebreros, a green, pine- studded forest area about 24 kilometers (15 miles) south of Robledo de Chavela. Like the latter area, this site was identified in a 1963 site survey. Both sites used a 26-meter polar-mounted antenna, which was the standard by this time. The Cebreros station (DSS 62) became operational in January 1967. Like the Pioneer station (DSS 11) at Goldstone and the Tidbinbilla station (DSS 42) in Australia, it had a Manned Space Flight Network wing to support the Apollo manned missions to the Moon. After NASA declared the station surplus to its operational needs in 1983, it was donated to the Spanish government.