Richard Stephenson
@nascom1
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A passion for all things "Space"
Canberra, Australia
Joined December 2010
After 15 Year of posting about my passion for NASA and specifically the DSN, I'm finding it harder posting as an individual within the new NASA media framework. Its been a pleasure sharing my experiences and hopefully people have enjoyed them. All the best 😀
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Thanks everyone 😢. I'll keep the account active, some of my posts will still be relevant into the future. I might start posting about my other passions... I just have to find one 😉
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Some nasty weather starting to hit the complex. Just made it back to the ops room before the rain started. Luckily only DSS36 SOHO so S-band which is OK but the DSS35 on Juno both X/ka Band will see an impact from the weather. DSS34,43 are on maintenance.
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We’re celebrating two milestones for @CanberraDSN! The complex, which operates four radio antennas for our Deep Space Network, recently marked its 60th anniversary. Now, preparations are underway for a fifth dish that will increase the network's capacity. https://t.co/9KYFN7muUt
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No its not a DSN Now issue. Currently our network is down for mission net maintenance. Every man, women and their dogs are piggy backing on this time to get jobs done around the network that could have a mission impact if done at any other time.
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Now fully "awake" after its little nap its back to its normal configuration for the DSN. Identical telemetry transmitted on both Right and Left polarization and combined on earth to provide a 3db (doubling) gain. New Horizon is still the only spacecraft configured this way.
Just roused from hibernation, New Horizons starts six months of active operations that will include long-distance looks at Kuiper Belt objects and close-up data gathering on the dust and radiation environment in this remote part of our Sun’s heliosphere. https://t.co/HropgUD74r
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Fridays seem to be the day the Voyagers get their commands. Voyager 1 a few hours ago and now its the turn of Voyager 2. Only Canberra DSS43 has a 100kw transmitter for commanding nowadays.
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Both Canberra and Madrid antenna will be covering the @NASAJuno Perijove number 71 coming up in around 5 hours. Canberra's DSS43 (shown) and 35 are covering approach and occultation, Madrid's DSS63 and 53 the occultation and departure. 70m-X Band. 34BWG X,Ka. Photo DSS43 Juno
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Sorry to keep you all in suspense, yes the photo is Canberra. Madrid already have their new DSS53 operational and Goldstone DSS23 is well down its construction path.
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After last weeks official groundbreaking for the DSN's newest antenna DSS33, the official groundwork has now started. New access roads and areas for keeping the soil from the yet to be dug hole are being cleared.
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Currently on Canberra's DSS36 Astrobotic's Griffin Lander is conducting ground data systems (GDS) testing with the project. Tests confirm DSN compatibility and include simulated telemetry and tracking and command delivery. Launch planned for late 2025. Madrid Ops has DSN control
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Currently Goldstone's 70m antenna DSS14 has put its Solar System Radar hat on and is giving Asteroid 2014 TN17 a good hammering with its 500kw radar specific transmitter as it sees its Earth closest approach. Spacecraft comms is pretty cool, but this is next level.
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I'd never heard of "passivated" until reading a Gaia briefing. I don't think it was used in the right context and after googling it looks like it applies to a chemical process with metals, but I do like it and understand why they used it, making is passive and deactivating
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Today is the last for @esa's Gaia spacecraft before being "passivated" by the mission. Its already left its science collecting L2 position and in a heliocentric orbit well away from Earth. The DSN will miss you 😢. Congratulations on a great mission! https://t.co/FlAK0z2WQH
esa.int
The European Space Agency’s Milky Way-mapper Gaia has completed the sky-scanning phase of its mission, racking up more than three trillion observations of about two billion stars and other objects...
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The DSN is still actively supporting the Lunar Trailblazer project in its spacecraft recovery attempts. From the NASA eyes projection you can see why, the spacecraft will have another lunar flyby in early May and then July. Its hoped its changing orientation may help to charge it
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Canberra's DSS35 supporting Parker Solar Probe as it approaches the Sun for another flyby. Check out the subreflector shadow over the dish hole, it's pretty darn close to covering it. Parker has now configured to beacon mode to provide basic comms on spacecraft health.@NASASun
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Following successful deployment of NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer from a SpaceX Falcon 9 on Feb. 26, mission operators at @CaltechIPAC received engineering data indicating intermittent power system issues. The spacecraft transmitter went out early Thursday but came on again hours
science.nasa.gov
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In Canberra DSS34,35,36 are waiting for spacecraft rise for IM2 and Trailblazer
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Canberra operation now configuring for the IM2 and Trailblazer acquisitions. A good launch of the Falcon 9
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