Latest Deep Space Network Stories

NASA's Voyager 2 has successfully switched to the backup set of thrusters that controls the roll of the spacecraft. Deep Space Network personnel sent commands to the spacecraft to make the change on Nov. 4 and received confirmation on Monday, November 14 that the switch has been made. The change allows engineers to reduce the amount of power that the 34-year-old spacecraft needs to operate by turning off the heater that keeps the fuel to the primary thrusters warm. Although the rate of...

NASA's Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, Calif. has captured new radar images of Asteroid 2005 YU55 passing close to Earth. The asteroid safely will fly past our planet slightly closer than the moon's orbit on Nov. 8. The last time a space rock this large came as close to Earth was in 1976, although astronomers did not know about the flyby at the time. The next known approach of an asteroid this size will be in 2028. The image was taken on Nov. 7 at 11:45 a.m. PST, when the...

PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Deep Space Network antenna in Goldstone, Calif., has captured new radar images of Asteroid 2005 YU55 passing close to Earth. (Logo: <font size="2" face="Arial">http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO</font>) The asteroid safely will fly past our planet slightly closer than the moon's orbit on Nov. 8. The last time a space rock this large came as close to Earth was in 1976, although astronomers...

NASA's Deep Space Network personnel sent commands to the Voyager 2 spacecraft Nov. 4 to switch to the backup set of thrusters that controls the roll of the spacecraft. Confirmation was received today that the spacecraft accepted the commands. The change will allow the 34-year-old spacecraft to reduce the amount of power it requires to operate and use previously unused thrusters as it continues its journey toward interstellar space, beyond our solar system. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and...

NASA scientists will be tracking asteroid 2005 YU55 with antennas of the agency's Deep Space Network at Goldstone, Calif., as the space rock safely flies past Earth slightly closer than the moon's orbit on Nov. 8. Scientists are treating the flyby of the 1,300-foot-wide (400-meter) asteroid as a science target of opportunity - allowing instruments on "spacecraft Earth" to scan it during the close pass. Tracking of the aircraft carrier-sized asteroid will begin at 9:30 a.m. local time (PDT)...

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- D-Link, the cost-effective, standards-based unified networking solutions provider for small business and medium enterprise IT environments, today announced the DSN-4000 Series xStack® Storage iSCSI SAN Array delivering increased flexibility and scalability for secondary server applications such as disaster recovery, backup, surveillance, and archiving. With the DSN-4000 series, small to mid-size enterprises can leverage...

  PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA is giving the public the power to journey through the solar system using a new interactive Web-based tool. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) The "Eyes on the Solar System" interface combines video game technology and NASA data to create an environment for users to ride along with agency spacecraft and explore the cosmos. Screen graphics and information such as planet locations and spacecraft...

NASA has selected three proposals as Technology Demonstration Missions to transform space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities. The projects will develop and fly a space solar sail, deep space atomic clock, and space-based optical communications system. These crosscutting flight demonstrations were selected because of their potential to provide tangible, near-term products and infuse high-impact capabilities into NASA's future space operations...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has selected three proposals as Technology Demonstration Missions to transform space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities. The projects will develop and fly a space solar sail, deep space atomic clock, and space-based optical communications system. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) These crosscutting flight demonstrations were selected because of their potential to...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Aug. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 12:25 p.m. EDT Friday to begin a five-year journey to Jupiter. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) Juno's detailed study of the largest planet in our solar system will help reveal Jupiter's origin and evolution. As the archetype of giant gas planets, Jupiter can help scientists understand the origin of our solar...