Deep Space Network: the Next 50 Years

In 2014, NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) celebrated its 50th year of enabling exploration of the Moon, Solar System planets, and beyond. During those 50 years, the DSN has grown along with the associated spacecraft flight systems, providing some 13 orders of magnitude communications systems improvement. It has also contributed to many of the world’s most important scientific discoveries and provided substantial technological spinoffs that have become part of everyday life on Earth. Studies of the next 25 years indicate that deep space missions will need an order of magnitude increased communications performance per decade - and this is likely to continue beyond that time. As exhibited by this meeting, another major change happening right now is the emergence of a standardized international community for tracking deep space missions. The future definitely involves increased international cooperation. This paper explains the near term plans already underway for the DSN. We also consider the plans and possibilities for deep space optical communications. Finally, we will discuss opportunities for international participation in the next 50 years of deep space exploration.