Site

The DSA-2000 requires a 19 × 15 km flat plain with low levels of 0.7 – 2 GHz terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI). Candidate sites for the DSA-2000 have been explored within a 50,000 km² area in central Nevada (left) containing a number of valleys defined by a series of parallel north-south mountain ranges, including the Shoshone Mountains, Toiyabe Range, Toquima Range, and Monitor Range. These valleys are high elevation sites (~2,000m; important for tropospheric conditions) with low population density and have near-complete shielding from (ground-based) external RFI. While consideration of other nearby valleys is ongoing, including RFI surveys, Big Smoky Valley (inset) is recognized as the most likely future site for the array.