Automating NASA’s Deep-Space Network

NASA’s Deep-Space Network (DSN) is a worldwide collection of ultra-sensitive receiving systems and large parabolic dish antennas, interconnected to support interplanetary space missions as well as radio and radar astronomy observations of the solar system and universe. The DSN also supports selected Earth-orbiting space missions. To accomplish this, the DSN operates three deep-space communications facilities located approximately 120 degrees apart around the planet. Each facility uses massive antennas to receive signals from space. The jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) manages the DSN antennas for NASA, which uses these antennas to track Voyager and other probes and to receive scientific data about our planet and our universe.