The road to the Deep Space Network

The evolution of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration's (NASA's) Deep Space Network is recounted. The launching of the US Pioneer program, following the orbiting of Sputnik by the USSR in 1957, and the communication system established for it are examined. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL's) advocacy of a permanent system of ground stations, and the antenna design and site and frequency selection, are discussed. The expansion into foreign countries and later developments are described.<
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