Deep Space Network - Antennas

Antennas

Each complex consists of at least four deep space terminals equipped with ultra-sensitive receiving systems and large parabolic-dish antennas. There are:

• One 34-metre (112 ft) diameter High Efficiency antenna.
• One or more 34-metre (112 ft) Beam waveguide antennas (three at the Goldstone Complex, two at the Robledo de Chavela complex (near Madrid), and one at the Canberra Complex).
• One 26-metre (85 ft) antenna.
• One 70-metre (230 ft) antenna.

Five of the 34-metre (112 ft) 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 34-metre (112 ft) 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 needs to be built at the existing Deep Space Network sites. At the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex the first of these antennas are currently under construction. The first of the new antennas will be coming online by 2014 to 2016.