The European Space Agency (ESA) has inaugurated a new 35-meter deep space antenna in New Norcia, Western Australia, marking a major expansion of its Estrack network used to communicate with spacecraft across the Solar System. The addition, known as “New Norcia 3,” is ESA’s fourth operational antenna and is designed to support the agency’s growing fleet of scientific and exploration missions.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said during the October 4 ceremony that the project represents a key step in strengthening Europe’s autonomy and leadership in space communications. “This strategic investment reinforces ESA’s deep-space communication capabilities and maximises the return of our missions’ most valuable asset: data delivered from spacecraft voyaging far from Earth,” Aschbacher said in the agency’s statement.
Construction of the antenna began in 2021 and was completed on schedule through collaboration between European and Australian industry partners. Scheduled to enter service in 2026, New Norcia 3 will support ESA’s flagship missions, including Juice, BepiColombo, Mars Express, Solar Orbiter, and Hera, as well as upcoming projects such as Plato, Envision, Ariel, Ramses, and Vigil.
Equipped with a 20-kilowatt amplifier and cryogenically cooled components operating at nearly absolute zero, the antenna will be capable of transmitting commands and receiving data from spacecraft billions of kilometers away. Its advanced communication systems, timing technology, and radio-frequency sensitivity make it the most sophisticated deep space antenna ESA has built to date.
The new facility will also bolster international cooperation, with the capacity to assist missions from NASA, JAXA, ISRO, and other global or commercial partners. ESA said the antenna strengthens mutual cross-support arrangements, improving science return and operational efficiency across multiple space programs.
Source: ESA