DSN Survives Artemis II Data Boom With Upgrades
NASA’s Deep Space Network, which nearly buckled during Artemis I, again faced heavy data demands for Artemis II but performed well thanks to upgrades (including a new data subsystem and improved coordination). The mission’s shorter duration helped ease load, while NASA plans more capacity via Lunar Exploration Ground Sites, laser communications, and other non-DSN infrastructure. About 40 missions currently use DSN, with around 40 more expected over the next decade; one 70-meter antenna at Goldstone is offline after a 2023 over-rotation accident and is slated for repair and upgrade by 2028, and NASA now requires feasibility studies before onboarding new missions.
