{"id":141061,"date":"2022-11-15T18:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T22:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-483151"},"modified":"2023-09-07T17:30:34","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T21:30:34","slug":"how-nasas-deep-space-network-supports-the-agencys-missions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/deep-space-network\/how-nasas-deep-space-network-supports-the-agencys-missions\/","title":{"rendered":"How NASA\u2019s Deep Space Network Supports the Agency\u2019s Missions"},"content":{"rendered":"<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-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"DSN collage\" 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\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?resize=768,433 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?resize=1024,577 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?resize=400,226 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?resize=900,507 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The DSN will prioritize communications during key mission events for Artemis I (pictured left), as it did for the approach and asteroid impact of the DART mission (illustrated right). Shown at center is one of the DSN\u2019s antennas that supports dozens of other deep space missions.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\"><strong><em>Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/Johns Hopkins APL<\/em><\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The DSN will enable NASA to track and communicate with Artemis I while working to provide coverage across dozens of other missions throughout the solar system.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over 50 years ago, NASA captured the world\u2019s imagination and inspired generations with the Apollo 11 Moon landing. NASA\u2019s then-young Deep Space Network (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/heo\/scan\/services\/networks\/deep_space_network\/about\" rel=\"noopener\">DSN<\/a>) was crucial to tracking and communicating with that mission, as it will also be essential to NASA\u2019s next push to the Moon: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/artemis\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis<\/a>. In the half-century between those two lunar efforts, the network has expanded to support dozens of robotic spacecraft exploring the solar system, requiring complex coordination throughout the space agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Managed by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, with the oversight of NASA\u2019s Space Communications and Navigation (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/heo\/scan\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">SCaN<\/a>) Program, the DSN will support a constant flow of data with Artemis I\u2019s uncrewed Orion capsule beyond low-Earth orbit after launch. This includes the mission\u2019s outbound journey and return, plus all the mission\u2019s trajectory maneuvers in between, ensuring commands can be sent to the spacecraft and data can be returned to Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The DSN will work in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2022\/working-in-tandem-nasa-s-networks-empower-artemis-i-0\" rel=\"noopener\">tandem<\/a> with NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/esc.gsfc.nasa.gov\/projects\/NSN\" rel=\"noopener\">Near Space Network<\/a>, managed by NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with the oversight of the SCaN Program. Together, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2020\/artemis-i-demonstrating-the-capabilities-of-nasa-s-united-networks\" rel=\"noopener\">networks<\/a> help to create a foundation for future crewed Artemis launches to the lunar surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make sure the DSN can keep up with demand, it is undergoing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/nasas-deep-space-network-looks-to-the-future\" rel=\"noopener\">a series of improvements<\/a> to increase capacity. Also crucial to managing that demand, the network relies on a robust scheduling system to ensure the interplanetary switchboard can maximize coverage between so many missions. Schedulers with each mission negotiate with one another, working with DSN team members to make sure they will have network support for critical operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are different types of data that require different commitments, depending on what phase the mission is in,\u201d said JPL\u2019s Michael Levesque, DSN project manager. \u201cCertain mission events, such as launches, landings, and planetary maneuvers, require constant contact with the DSN, so planning the network\u2019s schedule typically begins 12 to 15 weeks ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some missions \u2013 such as NASA\u2019s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/planetarydefense\/dart\/dart-news\" rel=\"noopener\">DART<\/a>) mission, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-s-dart-mission-hits-asteroid-in-first-ever-planetary-defense-test\" rel=\"noopener\">impacted the small asteroid Dimorphos<\/a> in September \u2013 require transmitting a lot more data. The DART mission received round-the-clock DSN coverage surrounding the asteroid impact, with commands being transmitted to the spacecraft and data being sent back to Earth about the spacecraft\u2019s health and the effects of the impact. \u201cThis can tie up DSN resources,\u201d said Levesque, \u201cbut as the schedulers plan for events many months in advance, the effect on other missions can be well managed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>\n<i>You can check in on the which spacecraft the Deep Space Network\u2019s antennas are currently communicating with via the online application DSN Now. Click on a dish to learn more about the live connection between the spacecraft and the ground. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When urgent situations arise that throw off predetermined schedules, real-time discussions take place between missions to make adjustments. Demands on the network wax and wane, and there are other factors that can help make scheduling less complex. Should key mission events overlap, spacecraft may use onboard data storage and processing, allowing valuable science data to be transmitted at a later time, when communication demands are lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The network\u2019s configuration also comes into play: The DSN consists of multiple giant antenna dishes arrayed in three complexes evenly spaced around the world at the Goldstone complex near Barstow, California; in Madrid, Spain; and in Canberra, Australia. This ensures they can trade off communicating with spacecraft to provide constant coverage as Earth rotates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More About the Deep Space Network<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The forerunner to the DSN was established in 1958 when JPL was contracted by the U.S. Army to deploy portable radio tracking stations in California, Nigeria, and Singapore to receive telemetry of the first successful U.S. satellite, Explorer 1. Shortly after JPL was transferred to NASA later that year, the newly formed U.S. civilian space program established the DSN to communicate with all deep space missions. It has been in continuous operation since 1963 and remains the backbone of deep space communications for NASA and international missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>JPL is a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California. The DSN and Near Space Network receive programmatic oversight from NASA\u2019s Space Communications and Navigation (<a href=\"http:\/\/nasa.gov\/SCaN\" rel=\"noopener\">SCaN<\/a>) program office within the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more about the DSN, listen to the 2022 season of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/content\/goddard\/the-invisible-network-podcast\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA\u2019s Invisible Network Podcast<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/scan-now.gsfc.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">SCaN Now<\/a> app allows users to see which antennas are communicating with which spacecraft in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ian O\u2019Neill<\/strong><br> Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br> 626-497-4092<br> <a href=\"mailto:ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov\">ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2022-176<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The DSN will enable NASA to track and communicate with Artemis I while working to provide coverage across dozens of other missions throughout the solar system. Over 50 years ago, NASA captured the world\u2019s imagination and inspired generations with the Apollo 11 Moon landing. NASA\u2019s then-young Deep Space Network (DSN) was crucial to tracking and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":145409,"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":[3316,2681,2917,2860,3315,2661],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[8605,12642,8612],"coauthors":[12651],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"How NASA\u2019s Deep Space Network Supports the Agency\u2019s Missions","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/deep-space-network\/how-nasas-deep-space-network-supports-the-agencys-missions\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/deep-space-network\/how-nasas-deep-space-network-supports-the-agencys-missions\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg"},"articleSection":"Technology","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory"}],"creator":["Jet Propulsion Laboratory"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Technology","Deep Space Network","Artemis","Artemis 1","Jet Propulsion Laboratory","Space Communications & Navigation Program"],"dateCreated":"2022-11-15T22:07:00Z","datePublished":"2022-11-15T22:07:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-07T21:30:34Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"How NASA\u2019s Deep Space Network Supports the Agency\u2019s Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/space-comms\/deep-space-network\/how-nasas-deep-space-network-supports-the-agencys-missions\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-11-15T22:07:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Technology\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Technology,Deep Space Network,Artemis,Artemis 1,Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Space Communications & Navigation Program\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jet Propulsion Laboratory\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":145409,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1-combo-art092722-1041_0.jpg","title":"1-combo-art092722-1041_0","alt":"DSN collage","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141061"}],"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\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141061"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":580968,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141061\/revisions\/580968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141061"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=141061"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=141061"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=141061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}