NASA has taken the next step toward a new generation of Deep Space Network antennas. A $40.7 million contract with General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, San Jose, Calif., covers execution of two additional 34-meter (112-foot) antennas at Canberra, Australia. This is part of Phase I of a plan to ultimately retire the network's aging 70-meter-wide (230-foot-wide) antennas. The Deep Space Network (DSN) consists of three communications complexes: in Goldstone, Calif.; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia. The 70-meter antennas are more than 40 years old and are viewing symbols of surface corrosion from steady use.
Additional 34-meter antennas are being installed in Canberra in the first phase; succeeding phases will install additional 34-meter antennas in Goldstone and Madrid. The 34-meter beam waveguide antennas are essential to keep communications flowing smoothly as NASA's fleet of spacecraft continues to expand. In addition, the waveguide design of the antennas provides easier access for maintenance and future upgrades, because perceptive electronics are housed in a below-the-ground pedestal equipment room, instead of in the center of the dish.
0 comments:
Post a Comment