The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) is a worldwide
network
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
of American spacecraft communication
ground segment
A ground segment consists of all the ground-based elements of a space system used by operators and support personnel, as opposed to the space segment and user segment. The ground segment enables management of a spacecraft, and distribution of p ...
facilities, located in the United States (California), Spain (Madrid), and Australia (Canberra), that supports
NASA's interplanetary spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
missions. It also performs
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
and
radar astronomy
Radar astronomy is a technique of observing nearby astronomical objects by reflecting radio waves or microwaves off target objects and analyzing their reflections. Radar astronomy differs from ''radio astronomy'' in that the latter is a passive o ...
observations for the exploration of the
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
and the
universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
, and supports selected
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
-orbiting missions. DSN is part of the
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States.
Founded in the 1930s by Caltech researchers, JPL is owned by NASA an ...
(JPL).
General information
![deep-space-op](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Deep-space-op.jpg)
DSN currently consists of three deep-space communications facilities placed approximately 120 degrees apart around the Earth.
They are:
* the
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), commonly called the Goldstone Observatory, is a satellite ground station located in Fort Irwin in the U.S. state of California. Operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), its main ...
() outside
Barstow, California. For details of Goldstone's contribution to the early days of space probe tracking, see
Project Space Track
Project Space Track was a research and development project of the US Air Force, to create a tracking system for all artificial satellites of the Earth and space probes, domestic and foreign.
Project Space Track was started at the Air Force Cambri ...
;
* the
Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (), west of
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Spain; and
* the
Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...
(), southwest of
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
, Australia near the
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is a protected area, on the fringe of Namadgi National Park. Tidbinbilla is a short drive from the capital city of Australia, Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.
The nature reserve consists of a large val ...
.
Each facility is situated in semi-mountainous, bowl-shaped terrain to help shield against radio frequency interference.
The strategic placement with nearly 120-degree separation permits constant observation of spacecraft as the Earth rotates, which helps to make the DSN the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications system in the world.
The DSN supports
NASA's contribution to the
scientific investigation of the Solar System: It provides a two-way communications link that guides and controls various NASA
uncrewed interplanetary
space probe
A space probe is an artificial satellite that travels through space to collect scientific data. A space probe may orbit Earth; approach the Moon; travel through interplanetary space; flyby, orbit, or land or fly on other planetary bodies; or ent ...
s, and brings back the images and new scientific information these probes collect. All DSN antennas are steerable, high-gain,
parabolic reflector
A parabolic (or paraboloid or paraboloidal) reflector (or dish or mirror) is a reflective surface used to collect or project energy such as light, sound, or radio waves. Its shape is part of a circular paraboloid, that is, the surface generated ...
antennas.
The antennas and data delivery systems make it possible to:
* acquire
telemetry
Telemetry is the in situ data collection, collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic data transmission, transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Gr ...
data from spacecraft.
* transmit commands to spacecraft.
* upload software modifications to spacecraft.
* track spacecraft position and velocity.
* perform
Very Long Baseline Interferometry
Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) is a type of astronomical interferometry used in radio astronomy. In VLBI a signal from an astronomical radio source, such as a quasar, is collected at multiple radio telescopes on Earth or in space. T ...
observations.
* measure variations in radio waves for radio science experiments.
* gather science data.
* monitor and control the performance of the network.
Other countries and organizations also run deep space networks. The DSN operates according to the standards of the
Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems
The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) was founded in 1982 for governmental and quasi-governmental space agencies to discuss and develop standards for space data and information systems. Currently composed of "eleven member agenc ...
, as do most other deep space networks, and hence the DSN is able to inter-operate with the networks of other space agencies. These include the
Soviet Deep Space Network The Soviet Deep Space Network (or Russian Deep Space Network) was a network of large antennas and communication facilities that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the Solar ...
, the
Chinese Deep Space Network
The Chinese Deep Space Network (CDSN) is a network of large antennas and communication facilities that are used for the interplanetary spacecraft missions of China. It is managed by the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control Center General ...
, the
Indian Deep Space Network
Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) is a network of large antennas and communication facilities operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation to support the interplanetary spacecraft missions of India. Its hub is located at Byalalu, Ramanaga ...
, the
Japanese Deep Space Network, and the
ESTRACK
The European Space Tracking (ESTRACK) network consists of a number of ground-based space-tracking stations belonging to the European Space Agency (ESA), and operated by the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. The station ...
of the
European Space Agency
, owners =
, headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France
, coordinates =
, spaceport = Guiana Space Centre
, seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png
, seal_size = 130px
, image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...
. These agencies often cooperate for better mission coverage. In particular, DSN has a cross-support agreement with ESA that allows mutual use of both networks for more effectiveness and reduced risk. In addition, radio astronomy facilities, such as
Parkes Observatory
Parkes Observatory is a radio astronomy observatory, located north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. It hosts Murriyang, the 64 m CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope also known as "The Dish", along with two smaller radio telescopes. T ...
or the
Green Bank Telescope
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, West Virginia, US is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, surpassing the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope in Germany. The Green Bank site was part of the National Radio ...
, are sometimes used to supplement the antennas of the DSN.
Operations control center
The antennas at all three DSN Complexes communicate directly with the Deep Space Operations Center (also known as Deep Space Network operations control center) located at the JPL facilities in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
.
In the early years, the operations control center did not have a permanent facility. It was a provisional setup with numerous desks and phones installed in a large room near the computers used to calculate orbits. In July 1961, NASA started the construction of the permanent facility, Space Flight Operations Facility (SFOF). The facility was completed in October 1963 and dedicated on May 14, 1964. In the initial setup of the SFOF, there were 31 consoles, 100 closed-circuit television cameras, and more than 200 television displays to support
Ranger 6
Ranger 6 was a lunar probe in the NASA Ranger program, a series of robotic spacecraft of the early and mid-1960s to obtain the first close-up images of the Moon's surface. It was launched on January 30, 1964 and was designed to transmit high-reso ...
to
Ranger 9
Ranger 9 was a Lunar probe, launched in 1965 by NASA. It was designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the final minutes of flight up to impact. The spacecraft carried s ...
and
Mariner 4
Mariner 4 (together with Mariner 3 known as Mariner-Mars 1964) was the Mariner program, fourth in a series of spacecraft intended for planetary exploration in a flyby mode. It was designed to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and ...
.
Currently, the operations center personnel at SFOF monitor and direct operations, and oversee the quality of spacecraft telemetry and navigation data delivered to network users. In addition to the DSN complexes and the operations center, a ground communications facility provides communications that link the three complexes to the operations center at JPL, to space flight control centers in the United States and overseas, and to scientists around the world.
Deep space
![DSNantenna](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/DSNantenna.svg)
Tracking vehicles in deep space is quite different from tracking missions in
low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...
(LEO). Deep space missions are visible for long periods of time from a large portion of the Earth's surface, and so require few stations (the DSN has only three main sites). These few stations, however, require huge antennas, ultra-sensitive receivers, and powerful transmitters in order to transmit and receive over the vast distances involved.
Deep space is defined in several different ways. According to a 1975 NASA report, the DSN was designed to communicate with "spacecraft traveling approximately 16,000 km (10,000 miles) from Earth to the farthest planets of the solar system." JPL diagrams state that at an altitude of , a spacecraft is always in the field of view of one of the tracking stations.
The
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...
, which sets aside various frequency bands for deep space and near Earth use, defines "deep space" to start at a distance of from the Earth's surface.
Because the Moon, the Earth-moon Lagrange points, and the Earth–Sun
Lagrangian point
In celestial mechanics, the Lagrange points (; also Lagrangian points or libration points) are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the influence of two massive orbiting bodies. Mathematically, this involves the solution of th ...
s L
1 and L
2, are all closer than 2 million km from Earth (distances are
here
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here
Television
* Here TV (form ...
), they are considered near space and cannot use the ITU's
deep space bands Deep space bands and near space bands are frequency bands that have been allocated to space research services by the International Telecommunication Union for use in deep space and near space
The mesosphere (; ) is the third layer of the atmo ...
.
History
The forerunner of the DSN was established in January 1958, when
JPL, then under contract to the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
, deployed portable radio tracking stations in Nigeria, Singapore, and California to receive
telemetry
Telemetry is the in situ data collection, collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic data transmission, transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Gr ...
and plot the orbit of the Army-launched
Explorer 1
Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States in 1958 and was part of the U.S. participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The mission followed the first two satellites the previous year; the Soviet Union's ...
, the first successful U.S.
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
was officially established on October 1, 1958, to consolidate the separately developing space-exploration programs of the US Army,
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
, and
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
into one civilian organization.
On December 3, 1958, JPL was transferred from the US Army to NASA and given responsibility for the design and execution of lunar and planetary exploration programs using remotely controlled spacecraft. Shortly after the transfer, NASA established the concept of the Deep Space Network as a separately managed and operated communications system that would accommodate all
deep space missions, thereby avoiding the need for each flight project to acquire and operate its own specialized space communications network. The DSN was given responsibility for its own research, development, and operation in support of all of its users. Under this concept, it has become a world leader in the development of low-noise receivers; large parabolic-dish antennas; tracking, telemetry, and command systems; digital signal processing; and deep space navigation. The Deep Space Network formally announced its intention to send missions into deep space on Christmas Eve 1963; it has remained in continuous operation in one capacity or another ever since.
The largest antennas of the DSN are often called on during spacecraft emergencies. Almost all spacecraft are designed so normal operation can be conducted on the smaller (and more economical) antennas of the DSN, but during an emergency the use of the largest antennas is crucial. This is because a troubled spacecraft may be forced to use less than its normal transmitter power,
attitude control
Attitude control is the process of controlling the orientation of an aerospace vehicle with respect to an inertial frame of reference or another entity such as the celestial sphere, certain fields, and nearby objects, etc.
Controlling vehicle ...
problems may preclude the use of
high-gain antenna
A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates or receives greater power in specific directions allowing increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas provide increased performance ...
s, and recovering every bit of telemetry is critical to assessing the health of the spacecraft and planning the recovery. The most famous example is the
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...
mission, where limited battery power and inability to use the spacecraft's high-gain antennas reduced signal levels below the capability of the
Manned Space Flight Network
The Manned Space Flight Network (abbreviated MSFN, pronounced "''misfin''") was a set of tracking stations built to support the American Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab space programs.
There were two other NASA space communication networks a ...
, and the use of the biggest DSN antennas (and the Australian
Parkes Observatory
Parkes Observatory is a radio astronomy observatory, located north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. It hosts Murriyang, the 64 m CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope also known as "The Dish", along with two smaller radio telescopes. T ...
radio telescope
A radio telescope is a specialized antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the radio frequency ...
) was critical to saving the lives of the astronauts. While Apollo was also a US mission, DSN provides this emergency service to other space agencies as well, in a spirit of inter-agency and international cooperation. For example, the
recovery
Recovery or Recover may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books
* ''Recovery'' (novel), a Star Wars e-book
* Recovery Version, a translation of the Bible with footnotes published by Living Stream Ministry
Film and television
* ''Recovery'' (fil ...
of the
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft built by a European industrial consortium led by Matra Marconi Space (now Airbus Defence and Space) that was launched on a Lockheed Martin Atlas IIAS l ...
(SOHO) mission of the
European Space Agency
, owners =
, headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France
, coordinates =
, spaceport = Guiana Space Centre
, seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png
, seal_size = 130px
, image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...
(ESA) would not have been possible without the use of the largest DSN facilities.
DSN and the Apollo program
Although normally tasked with tracking uncrewed spacecraft, the Deep Space Network (DSN) also contributed to the communication and tracking of
Apollo missions to the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
, although primary responsibility was held by the
Manned Space Flight Network
The Manned Space Flight Network (abbreviated MSFN, pronounced "''misfin''") was a set of tracking stations built to support the American Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab space programs.
There were two other NASA space communication networks a ...
(MSFN). The DSN designed the MSFN stations for lunar communication and provided a second antenna at each MSFN site (the MSFN sites were near the DSN sites for just this reason). Two antennas at each site were needed both for redundancy and because the beam widths of the large antennas needed were too small to encompass both the lunar orbiter and the lander at the same time. DSN also supplied some larger antennas as needed, in particular for television broadcasts from the Moon, and emergency communications such as Apollo 13.
Excerpt from a NASA report describing how the DSN and MSFN cooperated for Apollo:
The details of this cooperation and operation are available in a two-volume technical report from JPL.
Management
The network is a NASA facility and is managed and operated for NASA by JPL, which is part of the
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
(Caltech). The Interplanetary Network Directorate (IND) manages the program within JPL and is charged with the development and operation of it. The IND is considered to be JPL's focal point for all matters relating to telecommunications, interplanetary navigation, information systems, information technology, computing, software engineering, and other relevant technologies. While the IND is best known for its duties relating to the Deep Space Network, the organization also maintains the JPL
Advanced Multi-Mission Operations System (AMMOS) and JPL's
Institutional Computing and Information Services
Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...
(ICIS).
Harris Corporation is under a 5-year contract to JPL for the DSN's operations and maintenance. Harris has responsibility for managing the Goldstone complex, operating the DSOC, and for DSN operations, mission planning, operations engineering, and logistics.
Antennas
![Goldstone DSN antenna](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Goldstone_DSN_antenna.jpg)
Each complex consists of at least four deep space terminals equipped with ultra-sensitive receiving systems and large parabolic-dish antennas. There are:
* Three or more
Beam waveguide antenna
A beam waveguide antenna is a particular type of antenna dish, at which waveguides are used to transmit the radio beam between the large steerable dish and the equipment for reception or transmission, like e.g. RF power amplifiers.
Principle o ...
s (BWG)
* One antenna.
Five of the beam waveguide antennas were added to the system in the late 1990s. Three were located at Goldstone, and one each at Canberra and Madrid. A second beam waveguide antenna (the network's sixth) was completed at the Madrid complex in 2004.
In order to meet the current and future needs of deep space communication services, a number of new Deep Space Station antennas had to be built at the existing Deep Space Network sites. At the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex the first of these was completed in October 2014 (DSS35), with a second becoming operational in October 2016 (DSS36). A new 34 meter dish (DSS53) became operational at the Madrid complex in February 2022.
By 2025, the 70-meter antennas at all three locations will be decommissioned and replaced with 34-meter BWG antennas that will be arrayed. All systems will be upgraded to have X-band uplink capabilities and both X and Ka-band downlink capabilities.
Current signal processing capabilities
The general capabilities of the DSN have not substantially changed since the beginning of the
Voyager Interstellar Mission in the early 1990s. However, many advancements in digital signal processing, arraying and error correction have been adopted by the DSN.
The ability to array several antennas was incorporated to improve the data returned from the ''
Voyager 2
''Voyager 2'' is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study the outer planets and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. As a part of the Voyager program, it was launched 16 days before its twin, ''Voyager 1'', on a ...
''
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...
encounter, and extensively used for the
''Galileo'' mission, when the spacecraft's high-gain antenna failed to deploy and as a result ''Galileo'' was forced to resort to operating solely off its low-gain antennas.
The DSN array currently available since the ''Galileo'' mission can link the dish antenna at the Deep Space Network complex in Goldstone, California, with an identical antenna located in Australia, in addition to two antennas at the Canberra complex. The California and Australia sites were used concurrently to pick up communications with ''Galileo''.
Arraying of antennas within the three DSN locations is also used. For example, a dish antenna can be arrayed with a 34-meter dish. For especially vital missions, like ''Voyager 2'', non-DSN facilities normally used for radio astronomy can be added to the array. In particular, the Canberra dish can be arrayed with the
Parkes Radio Telescope Parkes may refer to:
* Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Australian politician, one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for Australian federation
Named for Henry Parkes
* Parkes, New South Wales, a regional town
* Parkes Observatory, a radi ...
in Australia; and the Goldstone 70-meter dish can be arrayed with the
Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twen ...
of antennas in New Mexico. Also, two or more dishes at one DSN location are commonly arrayed together.
All the stations are remotely operated from a centralized Signal Processing Center at each complex. These Centers house the electronic subsystems that point and control the antennas, receive and process the telemetry data, transmit commands, and generate the spacecraft navigation data. Once the data are processed at the complexes, they are transmitted to JPL for further processing and for distribution to science teams over a modern communications network.
Especially at Mars, there are often many spacecraft within the beam width of an antenna. For operational efficiency, a single antenna can receive signals from multiple spacecraft at the same time. This capability is called Multiple Spacecraft Per Aperture, or MSPA. Currently, the DSN can receive up to 4 spacecraft signals at the same time, or MSPA-4. However, apertures cannot currently be shared for uplink. When two or more high-power carriers are used simultaneously, very high order intermodulation products fall in the receiver bands, causing interference to the much (25 orders of magnitude) weaker received signals. Therefore, only one spacecraft at a time can get an uplink, though up to 4 can be received.
Network limitations and challenges
![Madrid Deep Space Network Complex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Madrid_Deep_Space_Network_Complex.jpg)
There are a number of limitations to the current DSN, and a number of challenges going forward.
* The Deep Space Network nodes are all on Earth. Therefore, data transmission rates from/to spacecraft and space probes are severely constrained due to the distances from Earth. For now it can connect with the Mars orbiters in the
Mars Relay Network for faster and more flexible communications with spacecraft and landers on Mars. Adding dedicated communication satellites elsewhere in space, to handle multiparty, multi-mission use, such as the canceled
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) was a cancelled Mars mission that was originally intended to launch in 2009 and would have established an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars. The spacecraft would have arrived in a high orbi ...
, would increase flexibility towards some sort of
Interplanetary Internet.
* The need to support "legacy" missions that have remained operational beyond their original lifetimes but are still returning scientific data. Programs such as
Voyager have been operating long past their original mission termination date. They also need some of the largest antennas.
* Replacing major components can cause problems as it can leave an antenna out of service for months at a time.
* The older 70 m antennas are reaching the end of their lives. At some point these will need to be replaced. The leading candidate for 70 m replacement had been an array of smaller dishes, but more recently the decision was taken to expand the provision of 34-meter (112 ft) BWG antennas at each complex to a total of 4. All the 34-meter HEF antennas have been replaced.
* New spacecraft intended for missions beyond
geocentric orbit
A geocentric orbit or Earth orbit involves any object orbiting Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. In 1997, NASA estimated there were approximately 2,465 artificial satellite payloads orbiting Earth and 6,216 pieces of space debris ...
s are being equipped to use the
beacon mode service
The beacon mode service is a Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) telecommunications service aimed at spacecraft which are not communicated with (on a daily basis) via NASA's Deep Space Network. It is primarily designed to relay a ...
, which allows such missions to operate without the DSN most of the time.
DSN and radio science
![Illustration of Juno spacecraft at Jupiter (PIA19639)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Illustration_of_Juno_spacecraft_at_Jupiter_%28PIA19639%29.jpg)
The DSN forms one portion of the radio sciences experiment included on most deep space missions, where radio links between spacecraft and Earth are used to investigate planetary science, space physics and fundamental physics. The experiments include radio occultations, gravity field determination and celestial mechanics, bistatic scattering, doppler wind experiments, solar corona characterization, and tests of fundamental physics.
For example, the Deep Space Network forms one component of the
gravity science experiment on ''Juno''. This includes special communication hardware on Juno and uses its communication system.
The DSN radiates a Ka-band uplink, which is picked up by ''Juno''s Ka-Band communication system and then processed by a special communication box called KaTS, and then this new signal is sent back the DSN.
This allows the velocity of the spacecraft over time to be determined with a level of precision that allows a more accurate determination of the gravity field at planet Jupiter.
Another radio science experiment is
REX on the ''New Horizons'' spacecraft to Pluto-Charon. REX received a signal from Earth as it was occulted by Pluto, to take various measurements of that system of bodies.
See also
;Extended NASA missions
*
Mars Science Laboratory
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed ''Curiosity (rover), Curiosity'', a Mars rover, in Gale (crater), Gale Crater on August ...
**
''Curiosity'' rover
**
''Perseverance'' rover
*
Voyager program
The Voyager program is an American scientific program that employs two robotic interstellar probes, ''Voyager 1'' and ''Voyager 2''. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, to Flyby (spacef ...
(
Heliosheath
The heliosphere is the magnetosphere, astrosphere and outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun. It takes the shape of a vast, bubble-like region of space. In plasma physics terms, it is the cavity formed by the Sun in the surrounding interst ...
and
Heliopause)
** ''
Voyager 1
''Voyager 1'' is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. Launched 16 days after its twin ''Voyager 2'', ''Voya ...
''
** ''
Voyager 2
''Voyager 2'' is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study the outer planets and interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. As a part of the Voyager program, it was launched 16 days before its twin, ''Voyager 1'', on a ...
''
*
International Cometary Explorer
The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft (designed and launched as the International Sun-Earth Explorer-3 (ISEE-3) satellite), was launched 12 August 1978, into a heliocentric orbit. It was one of three spacecraft, along with the mo ...
(
Earth's magnetic field
Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic f ...
and
Solar wind
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun, called the corona. This plasma mostly consists of electrons, protons and alpha particles with kinetic energy between . The composition of the sola ...
)
* ''
New Horizons
''New Horizons'' is an Interplanetary spaceflight, interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research ...
'' (Pluto)
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James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope which conducts infrared astronomy. As the largest optical telescope in space, its high resolution and sensitivity allow it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Spa ...
;Related Sources and Topics
*
Space Network
Space Network (SN) is a NASA program that combines space and ground elements to support spacecraft communications in Earth vicinity. The SN Project Office at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) manages the SN, which consists of:
* The geosynchron ...
*
Near Earth Network
The Near Earth Network (NEN, formerly GN or Ground Network) provides orbital communications support for near-Earth orbiting customer platforms via various ground stations, operated by NASA and other space agencies. It uses a number of different dis ...
*
Space Communications and Navigation Program (SCaN)
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Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
A tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) is a type of communications satellite that forms part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) used by NASA and other United States government agencies for communications to and fro ...
*
List of observatories
This is a list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no longer in ...
*
List of radio telescopes
This is a list of radio telescopes – over one hundred – that are or have been used for radio astronomy. The list includes both single dishes and interferometric arrays. The list is sorted by region, then by name; unnamed telescopes are in r ...
References
;Notes
# The sun orbiting ''
Ulysses
Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature.
Ulysses may also refer to:
People
* Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name
Places in the United States
* Ulysses, Kansas
* Ulysse ...
'' extended mission operation terminated June 30, 2009. The extension permitted a third flyby over the Sun's poles in 2007–2008.
# The two Voyager spacecraft continue to operate, with some loss in subsystem redundancy, but retain the capability of returning science data from a full complement of VIM science instruments. Both spacecraft also have adequate electrical power and attitude control propellant to continue operating until around 2020, when the available electrical power will no longer support science instrument operation. At this time, science data return and spacecraft operations will cease.
# The Deep Space Positioning System (DSPS) is being developed.
External links and further reading
JPL DSN– official site.
Basics of Space Flight – Chapter 18. Deep Space Network NASA, live status of antennas and spacecraft at all three facilities.
Deep Space Communications and Navigation Series– a series of books published by Wiley detailing specifics on the Deep Space Network, JPL's site o
* Douglas J. Mudgway, ''Big Dish: Building America's Deep Space Connection to the Planets'', University of Florida Press, 2005 .
(PDF) April 2006 GAO report ''NASA's Deep Space Network: Current Management Structure Is Not Conducive to Effectively Matching Resources with Future Requirements''An Early NASA Pioneer Still on the Job in Deep Space on ESA Spacecraft Operations site; retrieved October 19, 2007
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Deep Space Network,
Telemetry
Radio astronomy
Jet Propulsion Laboratory