Established in 1963, the DSN is often described as NASA’s interplanetary switchboard, linking mission control to spacecraft across the solar system. It consists of three primary complexes – in California, Spain, and Australia – spaced roughly 120° apart in longitude to provide continuous coverage as the Earth rotates. This arrangement means that as a spacecraft’s view of one DSN station sets below the horizon, another comes into sight, ensuring there’s always an ear listening and a voice ready to respond.
Each complex is studded with enormous parabolic antennas – including at least one 70-meter (230 ft) dish that ranks among the largest steerable antennas on Earth.
