Telescoping mast with integral payload

In a telescoping mast assembly, including:

• a plurality of nesting, telescoping mast sections, including a top section and at least one lower section, each of said sections having upper and lower ends, and
• means for extending and retracting each of said sections relative to the next-lower section,
• the improvement comprising:
• a payload, located only in said top section,
• said top section, including said payload, being dimensioned to be received and nest within the next-lower section,
• at least a portion of said payload being received within said next-lower section when said top section is fully retracted,
• such that said next-lower section provides protection for said payload when said top section is fully retracted,
• said payload being a member of the group consisting of radio antennas, lights, instrumentation and telemetry packages for robotic vehicles, television cameras, antenna rotators, preamplifiers, radiation sensors and electronic and electro-mechanical instrument packages.