{"id":517441,"date":"2023-09-22T14:54:12","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T18:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=517441"},"modified":"2023-09-25T14:31:54","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T18:31:54","slug":"what-is-the-near-space-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/what-is-the-near-space-network\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Near Space Network?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Near Space Network (NSN) is more than just an aggregation of the Near Earth Network\u2019s and Space Network\u2019s space-based technologies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/general\/near-space-network-complexes\/\">ground stations<\/a> and antennas; it\u2019s the network through which NASA and other space users will now arrange for support services for their near-Earth missions which include direct-to-Earth services and relay capabilities. Critically, those support services may be provisioned through government or commercial network assets in a way that is seamless to users\u2014a cornerstone in SCaN\u2019s effort to incorporate increasing levels of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/somd\/space-communications-navigation-program\/nasas-commercial-communications-services\/\">commercial service <\/a>while ensuring mission needs are met.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Near Space Network antennas at the White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg 3456w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/white-sands-03-2.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Near Space Network antennas at the White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The NSN provides telemetry, commanding, ground-based tracking, data and communications services to a wide range of customers with satellites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>in low Earth orbit (LEO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>geosynchronous orbit (GEO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>highly elliptical orbit (HEO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>lunar orbit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the NSN consists of a constellation of geosynchronous (Earth orbiting) satellites named the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/tracking-and-data-relay-satellites\/\">Tracking Data Relay Satellite <\/a>(TDRS), operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. These assets provide continuous global coverage to NASA missions in LEO and to launch vehicles during their launch and ascent phase, including every launch of a U.S. Government satellite. Support is also provided to missions in HEO when the orbit brings the spacecraft within range.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg?resize=300,182 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg?resize=768,465 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg?resize=400,242 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg?resize=600,364 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/tdrs-relay-2.jpg?resize=900,545 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The constellation of Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) provides communication and tracking services to missions in low Earth orbit (LEO).<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">BASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The NSN is managed and operated by NASA’s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/goddard\/\">Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a> in Greenbelt, Maryland. Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/esc.gsfc.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploration and Space Communications<\/a> page for more information. <\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-center nasa-button-link padding-y-1 padding-x-0 hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/communicating-with-missions\/nsn\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"button-primary button-primary-md link-external-true\" aria-label=\"Near Space Network\">\n\t\t<span class=\"line-height-alt-1\">Near Space Network<\/span>\n\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"button-primary-circle\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overview The Near Space Network (NSN) is more than just an aggregation of the Near Earth Network\u2019s and Space Network\u2019s space-based technologies, ground stations and antennas; it\u2019s the network through which NASA and other space users will now arrange for support services for their near-Earth missions which include direct-to-Earth services and relay capabilities. Critically, those support services may be provisioned [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":323,"featured_media":513892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[10576],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[11359],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"What is the Near Space Network?","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/what-is-the-near-space-network\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/what-is-the-near-space-network\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/nsn.webp?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/nsn.webp"},"articleSection":"Technology","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Catherine G. Manning"}],"creator":["Catherine G. Manning"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Technology","Communicating and Navigating with Missions"],"dateCreated":"2023-09-22T18:54:12Z","datePublished":"2023-09-22T18:54:12Z","dateModified":"2023-09-25T18:31:54Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"What is the Near Space Network?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/what-is-the-near-space-network\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/nsn.webp?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-09-22T18:54:12Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Technology\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Technology,Communicating and Navigating with Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Catherine G. Manning\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":2,"time_ago":"9 months","featured_image":{"id":513892,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/nsn.webp","title":"nsn","alt":"","caption":"With four new antennas around the globe, the Near Space Network is advancing its capabilities to support science and exploration missions that use enhanced instrumentation. Now, missions using the network will be able to send back terabytes of data for processing and discovery."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517441"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/323"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517441"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":520967,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517441\/revisions\/520967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517441"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=517441"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=517441"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=517441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}