![]() The DSN is much more than a collection of big antennas. All three complexes consist of at least four antenna stations, each equipped with large parabolic dish antennas and ultra-sensitive receiving systems capable of detecting incredibly faint radio signals from distant spacecraft. Before a distant spacecraft sinks below the horizon at one DSN site, another site can pick up the signal and carry on communicating. The strategic placement of these sites permits constant communication with spacecraft as our planet rotates. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex near Canberra, Australia.The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex near Madrid, Spain.The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California.The DSN consists of three antenna facilities spaced at equal distances from each other (about 120 degrees apart in longitude) around the world, operated through the Network Operations Control Center at JPL: They provide the crucial connection for commanding our spacecraft and receiving their never-before-seen images and scientific information on Earth, propelling our understanding of the universe, our solar system and ultimately, our place within it. The antennas of the DSN are the indispensable link to robotic explorers venturing beyond Earth. The DSN also supports selected Earth-orbiting missions. The DSN supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, radio astronomy, radar astronomy and related observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. It is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., and, after a journey of 1.8 billion miles, is expected to reach Jupiter by 2030.Ĭhacko writes for the Southern California News Group.NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of facilities managed and operated by JPL's Interplanetary Network Directorate. The Clipper spacecraft, which will ultimately orbit Jupiter to conduct data-gathering flybys of Europa, is currently being assembled at JPL (and you can see the progress of construction in real time on their YouTube channel). “Exploration is a shared human endeavor, and we want everybody to be part of that.” “There’s a big part of science that’s not just doing the research - it’s also sharing that information and encouraging other people to get excited about it,” Fauconnet said. This year, agency-affiliated scientists participated in panels about studying solar eclipses, STEM topics in science fiction and engineering challenges in space. The crossover between comics fans and space enthusiasts means that NASA not only staffs a booth, but also organizes panels where researchers can talk about their work to attendees. Astronomer Carl Sagan, who led the selection committee, said, “The launching of this bottle into the cosmic ocean says something very hopeful about life on this planet.” The Golden Records aboard the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 contained music by Bach and Chuck Berry. The inclusion of Limón’s poem is part of a nearly half-century-old tradition for the space agency to send art that represents human creativity and culture on missions. People have been able to include their names on the craft containing the Mars Curiosity Rover, the Orion spacecraft used for the Artemis I mission, and others. The Europa Clipper mission is not the first to invite participation from the public. They have that enthusiasm, and we’re able to meet their enthusiasm with ours.” Science and art together ![]() “It underscores the fact that a lot of people who are going to Comic-Con are interested in science, they’re interested in exploration. “And the exhibits are a way to talk about these big questions and how we’re answering them.”įauconnet said he was surprised that many of the SDCC fans who came up to the booth already knew many details about the Europa and Psyche missions. “We’re trying to ask these big questions: How does the universe work? Are we alone?” Fauconnet said. Space enthusiasts in cosplay wandered the booth, taking photos in front of the exhibits and backdrop of Europa and chatting with members of JPL’s public engagement team about the Clipper mission and other ongoing research. Also at the booth was a boulder-size model of the Psyche, the target of another mission by JPL and Arizona State University to explore for the first time an asteroid made of metal. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |