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science20h ago
NASA says Artemis II can fly without its big, broken deep space antenna
- NASA says Artemis II can fly without its big, broken Deep Space Network dish, focusing on mission planning rather than the offline antenna.
- The Goldstone antenna outage raised concerns after a 4.5-hour blackout during Artemis I, highlighting DSN fragility.
- NASA notes the DSN is overburdened, with data flow rising 40 percent beyond initial capacity over 30 years.
- Agency plans to add six new dishes under the DSN Aperture Enhancement Program to improve reliability.
- NASA Inspector General audit in 2024 urged ongoing maintenance and upgrades to avert similar outages.
- International partners, like Japan’s JAXA, provide backup coverage if contact is lost again.
- Artemis II aims to be the first crewed Moon mission in about five decades, with a potential February launch.
- The DSN’s global network includes complexes in California, Spain, and Australia.
- Goldstone’s outage prompted a formal mishap investigation and ongoing repairs after 2025 damage.
- NASA emphasizes that DSS-14’s outage predates Artemis II planning and should not derail the mission.
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