| FOREWORD | The last century represented a period in human endeavour characterised by an explosive increase in our understanding of nature and the universe in which we live. This growth of knowledge spans all of existence from the infinitely small of subatomic particles to the unimaginable vastness of the universe itself.

Perhaps the greatest discovery during this period has been the fact that each little door of knowledge we open, leads to a vast number of other doors waiting to be opened so that we may explore what lies beyond. Many areas of exploration may rightly claim the spotlight, but the last half of the twentieth century has been almost universally described as the ‘space age’.

It was during this period that humans and their machines left their home world to take those first faltering steps beyond our life-sustaining atmosphere and into the vastness of space. Humans cannot survive in space without complex life support systems. So it has been natural that we would use machines to carry out much of this exploration for us, particularly over distances that would be very difficult for humans to traverse. As the twentieth century drew to a close, NASA spacecraft had visited every planet in the solar system except Pluto.

These machines have survived for lengthy periods on the surface of Mars, while others have survived for short periods on the intensely hot surface of Venus. Launched from their mother spacecraft, a probe has plunged into the violent atmosphere of Jupiter, while another is bound for the surface of Titan, a moon of Saturn. Four spacecraft have travelled so far from Earth, that they have left our solar system. These craft may outlast the human race as they carry a message describing who built them and whence they came.

As we move into the twenty-first century, robotic space exploration has developed to the point where we can place a spacecraft, fitted with sensitive instruments, in orbit around essentially any of our solar system’s planets for extended periods of time. Spacecraft have orbited around an asteroid and even landed on one. They have intercepted comets and collected particles from the Sun for return to Earth for later analysis. All of these machines provide a virtual human presence throughout our solar system as they gather information while maintaining two-way communication with Earth.

As one of three complexes forming NASA’s Deep Space Network, it is the task of the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex to maintain the Earth-end of this communication link to these distant craft. I hope this booklet will provide you with some insight into the exciting world of interplanetary spacecraft communication as we continue exploration of our amazing universe for the benefit of all.
Peter N. Churchill
(former) CDSCC Director

+ Foreword
+ Overview
+ Birth of the
...Deep Space Network
+ Function

+ NASA in Australia
+ Woomera
+ Muchea
+ Carnarvon
+ Cooby Creek
+ Honeysuckle Creek
+ Orroral Valley
+ Tidbinbilla

+ Tidbinbilla Part 1 | Part 2

+ Deep Space Station 34
+ Deep Space Station 43
+ Deep Space Station 45
+ Deep Space Station 46
+ Tracking
+ Transmitting
+ Signal Processing
+ Timing Systems
+ Movement
+ Drive Systems

+ Personnel
...+ Operations
...+ Systems Engineering
...+ Antennas & Facilities
...+ Administration
+ CSIRO
+ NASA
+ Raytheon Australia
+ Visitor Centre

+ Terms & Meanings

+ NASA
+ JPL
+ DSN
+ CSIRO
+ Raytheon Australia
+ CDSCC