NASA Headquarters, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Deep Space Network (DSN) leadership recently convened for a ribbon-cutting event to inaugurate Deep Space Station 23 (DSS-23) at the DSN's Goldstone complex, near Barstow, California. The ceremony, held on August 25, 2026, celebrated the completion of the latest antenna addition to the DSN.
DSS-23 is part of the DSN's Aperture Enhancement Project, a long-term initiative that commenced in 2009. This project focuses on upgrading and expanding the network by introducing six new 34-meter (114-foot) multifrequency beam-waveguide antennas. These advanced dishes are designed to be highly versatile, supporting numerous missions operating across a wide spectrum of radio frequencies.
The Deep Space Network plays a crucial role in space exploration by enabling vital communication with spacecraft. It allows missions to be tracked, commands to be sent, and invaluable scientific data to be received from probes operating in distant regions of space. The DSN is managed by JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, under the purview of NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program, which is situated at NASA Headquarters within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate (RTMD).
For more details about the Deep Space Network, please visit: https://www.nasa.gov/communicating-with-missions/dsn/
