NASA inaugurates new 34-meter Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone
NASA officials and JPL managers held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 25 to commission Deep Space Station 23, the latest 34-meter antenna added to the Deep Space Network.
On Aug. 25, a group of NASA and JPL officials cut the ribbon on Deep Space Station 23, a 34-meter multifrequency antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Network site near Barstow, California. The antenna is the latest addition under the Aperture Enhancement Project, a program launched in 2009 to augment the network with six new beam-waveguide dishes. By expanding the DSN’s capacity, DSS-23 will enhance communications for a range of spacecraft operating across different radio bands.
Attendees included project managers, program directors and senior administrators from NASA Headquarters, the Research and Technology Mission Directorate, the Space Communications and Navigation Program, and the NASA Glenn Research Center. The Deep Space Network, managed by JPL—a Caltech division—provides critical tracking, command and data services for missions throughout the solar system. The ceremony underscored the ongoing investment in space communication infrastructure to support future exploration.
Why it matters
The new antenna strengthens NASA's ability to communicate with distant spacecraft, supporting current and future missions.
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