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Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex

Coordinates: 40°25′45″N 4°14′57″W / 40.42917°N 4.24917°W / 40.42917; -4.24917
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Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex
Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex (MDSCC)
Alternative namesMDSCC Edit this at Wikidata
OrganizationINTA / NASA / JPL
LocationRobledo de Chavela (near Madrid), Spain
Coordinates40°25′45″N 4°14′57″W / 40.42917°N 4.24917°W / 40.42917; -4.24917
Altitude720 m
Established1961
Websitemdscc.nasa.gov
Telescopes
  • DSS 53
  • DSS 54
  • DSS 55
  • DSS 56
  • DSS 63
  • DSS 65 Edit this on Wikidata
Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex is located in Spain
Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex
Location of Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex
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The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC; in Spanish and officially Complejo de Comunicaciones de Espacio Profundo de Madrid) is a satellite ground station located in Robledo de Chavela, Spain, and operated by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA).[1] Part of the Deep Space Network (DSN) of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), along with its two sister stations at Goldstone, California and Canberra, Australia it is used for tracking and communicating with NASA's spacecraft, particularly interplanetary missions. The DSN and the Near Space Network (NSN) are services of the NASA Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN).[2]

Deep Space Network

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The MDSCC is part of NASA's Deep Space Network run by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[3] The facility contributes to the Deep Space Network's mission to provide the vital two-way communications link that tracks and controls interplanetary spacecraft and receives the images and scientific information they collect. The complex is one of three NASA Deep Space Network complexes in the world, located at separations of approximately 120° longitude so that a spacecraft will always be in sight of at least one station; the others are the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex located in California, near the city of Barstow, and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex in Australia which is close to the city of Canberra.[4]

The complex also serves some missions of the European Space Agency.

Functions

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The antennas and data delivery systems make it possible to:

  • Acquire telemetry data from spacecraft.
  • Transmit commands to spacecraft.
  • Track spacecraft position and velocity.
  • Perform Radio Astronomy (both single-dish and very-long-baseline interferometry) observations.
  • Measure variations in radio waves for radio science experiments.
  • Monitor and control the performance of the Deep Space Network.

Antennas

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Aerial view of the complex in Robledo de Chavela.
Antennas at the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex

The complex has eight large parabolic antennas, called DSS-61, DSS-53, DSS-54, DSS-55, DSS-56, DSS-63, DSS-65 and DSS-66.[5]

This section is an excerpt from List of antennas in NASA's Deep Space Network § Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC).[edit]
Photo Name Diameter Date operational Date decommissioned Notes Bands
DSS-53 34m 2022 Beam waveguide antenna, entered operations February 2022[6][7] Transmit: X
Receive: X, Ka
DSS-54 34m 1997 Azimut-Elevación type beam waveguide antenna[8] Transmit: X, S
Receive: S, X, Q, Ka and Ka II
DSS-55 34m 2003 Azimut-Elevation type beam waveguide antenna[9] Transmit: X
Receive: X, Ka
DSS-56 34m 2021 Beam waveguide antenna, entered service January 2021[10][11] Transmit: X, S
Receive: S, X, Ka and Ka II
DSS-61 34m 1999 Deactivated late 1999, transferred to NASA for PARTNeR Project February 2001
DSS-63 70m 1974 Built as 64m antenna, upgraded to 70m in late 1980s. Weighs 8000 tons (dish: 3500 tons). Reflecting surface: 4180 m²[12] Transmit: S, X,
Receive: L, S, X
DSS-65 34m 1987 High-efficiency (HEF) antenna. Weighs 400 tons (dish: 350 tons).[13] Transmit: S, X
Receive: S, X
DSS-66 26m 2009 Moved from Fresnedillas tracking station in 1983. Used for near-Earth missions and early orbit phase of deep-space missions

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NASA Deep Space Communications Complex (Robledo de Chavela)". Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  2. ^ "SCaN Ground Segment". eoportal.org. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  3. ^ Official site for DSN at JPL Archived 8 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Latifiyan, Pouya (April 2021). "Space Telecommunications, how?". Take off. 1. Tehran: Civil Aviation Technology College: 15 – via Persian.
  5. ^ Official INTA site for the MDSCC Archived 25 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "NASA Adds Giant New Dish to Communicate With Deep Space Missions". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
  7. ^ "Antena 53 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Antena 54 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex".
  9. ^ "Antena 55 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex".
  10. ^ "NASA's Deep Space Network Welcomes a New Dish to the Family". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
  11. ^ "Antena 56 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 31 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Antena 63 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 12 July 2019.
  13. ^ "Antena 65 - Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex". Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex - DEEP SPACE NETWORK. 12 July 2019.
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