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List of antennas in NASA's Deep Space Network

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The NASA Deep Space Network is located on three continents—Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (CDSCC), and Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC)—and has multiple antennas to provide continuous support for both robotic space probes and crewed missions.

Naming and types

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All deep space stations (DSSs) at the GDSCC site are designated with numbers in the teens and twenties: (i.e. DSS-13 and DSS-24); at the CDSCC with numbers in the thirties and forties (i.e. DSS-34 and DSS-43), and at the MDSCC with numbers in the fifties and sixties (i.e. DSS-54 and DSS-65).[1]

70m antenna

Antennas can be divided into several subnetworks by type:[1][2]

  1. The three 70 m DSSs (DSS-14, DSS-43, DSS-63) were originally built as 64 m diameter Cassegrain antennas, designed like Parkes Observatory's antenna.[2][3] The first, DSS-14 began operation in 1966. All three were expanded to 70 m diameter from 1982 to 1988 to increase their sensitivity to support Voyager 2's encounter with Neptune. The 70 m DSSs are used for deep-space mission support, radio astronomy, and very-long-baseline interferometry. The DSS-14 is also used for radar astronomy as Goldstone Solar System Radar. Canberra's 70 m dish, DSS-63, is the only antenna that can communicate with Voyager 2 because of its south-celestial-hemisphere trajectory.[4] The 70 m antennas support both X-band and S-band uplink and downlink.
  2. The 34 m HEF Subnet (high-efficiency) (DSS-15, DSS-45, DSS-65) was installed to replace the older 34 m Standard, STD, subnet. The 34 m STD subnet DSSs had a polar-axis, or HA-DEC, design and were originally built with 26 m diameter reflectors and later upgraded to 34 m. The 34 m HEF subnet DSSs support X-band uplink and downlink, and S-band downlink. As of 2017, the 34 m antennas are being decommissioned.
  3. The 34 m BWG Subnet (beam waveguide antenna) (DSS-24, DSS-25, DSS-26, DSS-34, DSS-54) can be recognized by the hole in the middle of their main reflectors where on other DSSs there is a feed cone that houses microwave equipment. BWG antennas have five precision radio frequency mirrors that reflect radio signals along a tube from the antenna to a below-ground room.[5] The 34 m BWG subnet DSSs generally support both X-band and S-band uplink and downlink, though some antennas at GDSCC also have Ka-band uplink and downlink capability.[1]
  4. The 26 m Subnet (DSS-16, DSS-46, DSS-66) was used for rapidly tracking Earth-orbiting spacecraft. They were originally built to support the Apollo lunar missions between 1967 and 1972. The 26 m subnet DSSs support S-band uplink and downlink. All 26 m antennas were decommissioned in 2009.[5]

Antenna arraying

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View from the Earth's north pole, showing the field of view of the main DSN antenna locations. Once a mission gets more than 30,000 km (19,000 mi) from Earth, it is al­ways in view of at least one of the stations.

The antennas can combine signals and be used simultaneously to improve reception of weak signal. Arraying four 34 m antennas can provide the equivalent of one 70 m dish. As many as eight antennas can be arrayed at once.[1][6]

NASA first used antenna arraying in the 1970s, experimenting with it for Voyager encounters at Jupiter and the Pioneer 11 encounter with Saturn. After early experiments, all three DSN complexes intensively used arraying for the Voyager encounters with Saturn in 1980 and 1981. By the time Voyager 2 flew by Uranus in 1986, the DSN was combining signals from up to four antennas. For the spacecraft’s Neptune encounter three years later, the DSN combined signals from Australia’s Parkes Radio Telescope into the Canberra complex, and combined signals from the 27 antennas of the Very Large Array in New Mexico into the Goldstone array.[5]

NASA used arraying for the Galileo mission to Jupiter in 1996 and 1997. Galileo had a problem with its high-gain antenna, and the DSN arrayed up to five antennas from three tracking facilities (Goldstone, Canberra and Parkes) to increase the data return rate, resulting in increase by a factor of three, compared to that of a single 70-meter antenna.[5]

Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (CDSCC)

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Photo Name Diameter Date operational Date decommissioned Notes Bands
DSS-33 11m 1996 2008 Small Azimuth-Elevation-Train antenna, moved to Norway in 2008 for atmospheric research[7] X, S
DSS-34 34m 1997 Beam waveguide antenna, receiving/transmitting hardware underground[8] Transmit: X (7145-7235 MHz), S (2025-2120 MHz)
Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), S (2200-2300 MHz), K (25.5-27.0 GHz), Ka (31.8-32.3 GHz), X-Band Acquisition Aid (8400-8500MHz)
DSS-35 34m 2014 Operational late 2014, officially opened March 2015. Beam waveguide antenna, receiving/transmitting hardware underground. The design uses 'night sky cooling' to cool the transmitter.[9] Transmit: X (7145-7235 MHz)
Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), Ka (31.8-32.3 GHz)
DSS-36 34m 2016 Beam waveguide antenna, receiving/transmitting hardware underground. Dish installed August 2015, operational late 2016, officially opened November 3, 2016.[10] Transmit: X (7145-7235 MHz), S (2025-2120 MHz)
Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), S (2200-2300 MHz), Ka (31.8-32.3 GHz)
DSS-42 34m 1964 2000 "Hour angle/declination" antenna, original 26m antenna, later expanded to 34m, dismantled shortly after decommissioning.[11]
DSS-43 70m 1973 Originally 64m, enlarged 1987. Largest steerable parabolic antenna in Southern Hemisphere. Only antenna capable of communicating with Voyager 2. Weighs 3000+ tonnes, 1,272 aluminum panels. [12] In its spare time the dish is used for radio astronomy.[13] Transmit: X (7145-7190 MHz), S (2090-2120 MHz
Receive:[13] X (8183-8633 MHz), S (2270-2300 MHz), L (1610-1705 MHz), K (18.0-26.5 GHz)
DSS-45 34m 1986 2016 Was constructed for Voyager 2 Uranus flyby.[14] Decommissioned after DSS-36 became operational Transmit: X(7145-7190MHz)
Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), S (2200-2300MHz)
DSS-44/DSS-46 26m 1966 2009 X-Y axes antenna. Originally HSK at Honeysuckle Creek for Apollo program. Transferred to DSN as DSS-44 in 1974, moved to CDSCC as DSS-46 in 1983.[15] AIAA Historical Aerospace Site Transmit: S (2025-2120MHz)
Receive: S (2200-2300MHz), S-Band Acquisition Aid (2200-2300MHz), X-Band Acquisition Aid (8400-8500MHz)
DSS-49 64m 1961 Parkes Observatory radio telescope, is sometimes used to assist with DSN operations as a receiver, with no transmission capability.[16]

Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC)

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Photo Name Diameter Date operational Date decommissioned Notes Bands
DSS-11 "Pioneer" 26m 1958 1978 First antenna in Goldstone.[17]
DSS-12 "Echo" 34m 1959 2012 Polar-mounted antenna. From 1996 was removed from DSN operations and used for education.[18] S, X
DSS-13 "Venus" 34m 1962 In 1962 was opened as 26m antenna, upgraded to 34m beam waveguide in 1991.[18][19] In 2024, it was retrofitted with an optical terminal to track the downlink laser of the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment that is aboard NASA's Psyche mission.[20]
DSS-14 "Mars" 70m 1966 Originally a 64m antenna, upgraded to 70m in 1988 to support Voyager. Cassegrain reflector on altazimuth mount. ~3850 m² aperture[18]
DSS-15 "Uranus" 34m 1984 2018 "High Efficiency" reflector on altazimuth mount[18]
DSS-16 "Apollo" 26m 1967 - X-Y axis antenna, built in 1967 for the Apollo missions. It was a part of the Manned Space Flight Network. The dish is "currently in an extended downtime configuration."[21][22]
DSS-23 34m 2026 BWG reflector under construction[23]
DSS-24, DSS-25, DSS-26 "Apollo" 34m 1996 Cluster of three BWG reflectors on altazimuth mounts
DSS-27 and DSS-28 "Gemini" 34m 1994 2010 Originally built by JPL for the army, in 1994 transferred to NASA. BWA "High Speed" Alt/Az mount. DSS-27 is decommissioned.[18] DSS-28 was upgraded in 2010 with bandwidth radiometer and digital signal processor and is used for radio science under Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope program. It is not used for the DSN operations.[18][24]

Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC)

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Photo Name Diameter Date operational Date decommissioned Notes Bands
DSS-53 34m 2022 Beam waveguide antenna, entered operations February 2022[25][26] Transmit: X
Receive: X, Ka
DSS-54 34m 1997 Azimut-Elevación type beam waveguide antenna[27] Transmit: X, S
Receive: S, X, Q, Ka and Ka II
DSS-55 34m 2003 Azimut-Elevation type beam waveguide antenna[28] Transmit: X
Receive: X, Ka
DSS-56 34m 2021 Beam waveguide antenna, entered service January 2021[29][30] Transmit: X, S
Receive: S, X, Ka and Ka II
DSS-61 34m 1999 Deactivated late 1999, transferred to NASA for PARTNeR Project February 2001
DSS-63 70m 1974 Built as 64m antenna, upgraded to 70m in late 1980s. Weighs 8000 tons (dish: 3500 tons). Reflecting surface: 4180 m²[31] Transmit: S, X,
Receive: L, S, X
DSS-65 34m 1987 High-efficiency (HEF) antenna. Weighs 400 tons (dish: 350 tons).[32] Transmit: S, X
Receive: S, X
DSS-66 26m 2009 Moved from Fresnedillas tracking station in 1983. Used for near-Earth missions and early orbit phase of deep-space missions

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Deep Space Network - NASA Science". July 20, 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b The Deep Space Network Radio Astronomy User Guide (PDF) (Report). March 9, 2020.
  3. ^ Goss, W.M.; Hooker, C.; Ekers, R.D. (2023). "Reflections on GRT Science, post 1961.". Joe Pawsey and the Founding of Australian Radio Astronomy. Historical & Cultural Astronomy. Springer, Cham. pp. 493–517. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-07916-0_32. ISBN 978-3-031-07915-3. Retrieved 19 March 2023. The Parkes Telescope also proved timely for the US space programme. Bowen received a NASA grant for Minnett to participate in studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory … for the design of a 210 ft instrument [in the end three of these were constructed] for communicating with very distant space probes. Many of the Parkes features, including the drive and control concepts, were adopted.
  4. ^ "50 Years Later, This Apollo-Era Antenna Still Talks to Voyager 2". ieeespectrum.
  5. ^ a b c d Monaghan, Heather (2020). "Antennas of the Deep Space Network". NASA. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "Talking Interstellar: Six Deep Space Network Antennas in Madrid Arrayed for the First Time". 3 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Deep Space Station 33 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  8. ^ "Deep Space Station 34 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  9. ^ "Deep Space Station 35 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  10. ^ "Deep Space Station 36 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  11. ^ "Deep Space Station 42 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  12. ^ "Deep Space Station 43 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  13. ^ a b "Tidbinbilla 70-m Radio Telescope Guide to Observations". Australia Telescope National Facility. September 27, 2024.
  14. ^ "Deep Space Station 45 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  15. ^ "Deep Space Station 46 - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex".
  16. ^ "Murriyang, our Parkes radio telescope". www.csiro.au.
  17. ^ "National Park Service: Man in Space (Tracking Stations)". www.nps.gov.
  18. ^ a b c d e f "Antennas – Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex".
  19. ^ "NASA - Venus station telescope at NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Network". Computer History Museum.
  20. ^ "DSN's Experimental Hybrid Antenna Tracks DSOC's Laser Downlink". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
  21. ^ "Apollo Antenna in Goldstone, CA - NASA".
  22. ^ "Goldstone DSN booklet". honeysucklecreek.net.
  23. ^ "NASA's New Deep Space Network Antenna Has Its Crowning Moment". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
  24. ^ "DSS-28: a novel wide bandwidth radio telescope devoted to educational outreach". authors.library.caltech.edu.
  25. ^ "NASA Adds Giant New Dish to Communicate With Deep Space Missions". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
  26. ^ "Antena 53 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 22 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Antena 54 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex".
  28. ^ "Antena 55 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex".
  29. ^ "NASA's Deep Space Network Welcomes a New Dish to the Family". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
  30. ^ "Antena 56 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 31 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Antena 63 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 12 July 2019.
  32. ^ "Antena 65 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 12 July 2019.

See also

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