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NASA's Key Antenna Down, Straining Deep Space Network

11/15/2025

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Summary

Story summary

NASA's 70-meter DSS-14 antenna at the Goldstone site in California has been offline since September 16 after a malfunction damaged its structure and fire suppression system.
The outage strains NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which is essential for communicating with interplanetary missions and is operating about 40% above capacity.
Repair timelines for DSS-14 are uncertain, and DSN resources are expected to rise dramatically, impacting missions including the upcoming Artemis program.

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Story summary

NASA's 70-meter DSS-14 antenna at the Goldstone site in California has been offline since September 16 after a malfunction damaged its structure and fire suppression system.
The outage strains NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), which is essential for communicating with interplanetary missions and is operating about 40% above capacity.
Repair timelines for DSS-14 are uncertain, and DSN resources are expected to rise dramatically, impacting missions including the upcoming Artemis program.