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). 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).
Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex (MDSCC) | |
| Alternative names | MDSCC |
|---|---|
| Organization | INTA / NASA / JPL |
| Location | Robledo de Chavela (near Madrid), Spain |
| Coordinates | 40°25′45″N 4°14′57″W / 40.42917°N 4.24917°W |
| Altitude | 720 m |
| Established | 1961 |
| Website | mdscc.nasa.gov |
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Location of Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex | |
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Deep Space Network
The MDSCC is part of NASA's Deep Space Network run by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 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.
The complex also serves some missions of the European Space Agency.
Functions
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
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.
| Photo | Name | Diameter | Date operational | Date decommissioned | Notes | Bands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSS-53 | 34m | 2022 | Beam waveguide antenna, entered operations February 2022 | Transmit: X Receive: X, Ka | ||
| DSS-54 | 34m | 1997 | Azimut-Elevación type beam waveguide antenna | Transmit: X, S Receive: S, X, Q, Ka and Ka II | ||
| DSS-55 | 34m | 2003 | Azimut-Elevation type beam waveguide antenna | Transmit: X Receive: X, Ka | ||
| DSS-56 | 34m | 2021 | Beam waveguide antenna, entered service January 2021 | 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 | Transmit: S, X, Receive: L, S, X | ||
| DSS-65 | 34m | 1987 | High-efficiency (HEF) antenna. Weighs 400 tons (dish: 350 tons). | 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
- Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)
- RT-70
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