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The Deep Space Mission System (DSMS) program at the NASA Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) provides multi-mission services and
tools to a wide variety of space missions. The services can be
broadly classified as telecommunications services and mission
services.
Telecommunications services
are provided by the Deep Space Network (DSN), primarily for missions
in deep space, at Lagrange points and in high-earth orbits. JPL
is responsible for managing the development and operation of
the DSN.
Telecommunications services
cover all aspects of providing a space-ground link to spacecraft.
Data can then be exchanged across this link to and from the spacecraft
and the mission on the ground. Also radiometric data is acquired
via this link to be used for spacecraft navigation.
The DSN consists of three Deep
Space Communication Complexes, each with several large antennas
of different sizes, and the electronics required to process weak
signals from spacecraft. All three Complexes are connected to
a central control center located in Pasadena via a Wide Area
Network.
The facilities in Spain and
Australia are operated under government to government agreements
between the U.S. and host governments. |
