New era for New Norcia deep space antenna
The 35-m deep space antenna in New Norcia, Western Australia, is being looked after by a new team, led for the first time by a female site manager, Suzy Jackson.
ESTRACK: ESA’S GLOBAL GROUND STATION NETWORK
Ground stations transmit commands and receive scientific data and spacecraft status information throughout every phase of a mission.
The network supports spacecraft close to Earth, at the Sun–Earth Lagrange points and deep into the Solar System.
ESA’s tracking station network – Estrack – is a global system of ground stations providing links between satellites in orbit and ESOC, the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. The core network comprises six stations in six countries.
Established in 1975, the network began with a 15 m-diameter station at Villafranca del Castillo, Spain, supporting the International Ultraviolet Explorer mission. The original site later developed into ESAC, ESA’s major establishment in Spain.
TRACKING FROM START TO FINISH
Estrack supports missions from the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase through routine operations, special manoeuvres and flybys to deorbiting and safe disposal.
- Spacecraft acquisition after launch
- Command transmission, telemetry and scientific data reception
- Radiometric tracking for position, trajectory and velocity
- Central operation from the Network Operations Centre at ESOC
Estrack can also track rockets flying from Kourou in French Guiana. Each station has one or more antenna terminals, combining a parabolic dish with radio-signal processing equipment.
Signals received from space provide radiometric data that helps mission controllers determine a spacecraft’s location, trajectory and velocity. The stations also acquire newly launched spacecraft, provide frequency and timing control using atomic clocks, and collect atmospheric and weather data.
ESTRACK CORE NETWORK
Three core stations track satellites or launchers near Earth using 13-, 13.5- or 15-metre dishes: Kourou in French Guiana, Santa Maria in Portugal and Kiruna in Sweden.
In December 2015, Perth station was retired and its core spacecraft-acquisition role transferred to a new 4.5-metre antenna at New Norcia. Responsibility for the Maspalomas and Villafranca stations in Spain was transferred to European industry in 2017.
DSA — DEEP SPACE ANTENNAS
ESA began developing its own deep-space network in 1998 as the number of interplanetary missions grew. Three stations, separated by roughly 120° of longitude, provide continuous coverage as Earth rotates.
The first 35 m Deep Space Antenna was built at New Norcia, Australia, followed by Cebreros in Spain and Malargüe in Argentina. Together they communicate with spacecraft hundreds of millions of kilometres from Earth. In 2016, New Norcia received Cassini’s signal from Saturn across more than 1.4 billion kilometres. Recently, in 2026, a fourth antenna joined the network in Western Australia.
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