Deep Space Communication Complex Canberra

Sunday 19th, 2025, we visited the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex in the hills of Tidbinbilla, a 40-minute drive from my home in Canberra (37 km).

ᴰᵉᵉᵖ ˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵘⁿᶦᶜᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉˣ ᶜᵃⁿᵇᵉʳʳᵃ

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) is a satellite communication station, in Tidbinbilla Hills Canberra which is Australian branch of NASA based Deep Space Network.

ᴰᵉᵉᵖ ˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ ᴺᵉᵗʷᵒʳᵏ ᵀᶦᵈᵇᶦⁿᵇᶦˡˡᵃ ᶜᵃⁿᵇᵉʳʳᵃ ˢᶦᵗᵉ

The Deep Space Network (DSN) Canberra site is officially called the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC).

On Saturdays and Sundays the public can visit the site's visitor center for educational exhibits and views of the antennas, which include the largest steerable dish in this part of the world.

ᶜᵃⁿᵇᵉʳʳᵃ ᵗᵉᵃᵐ ᶜᵒⁿᵗʳᵒˡˢ ᵗʰᵉ ᵃⁿᵗᵉⁿⁿᵃˢ

You can watch all these dishes from this point as we drove towards CDSCC. This is a crucial part of NASA's international network of antennas located in Tidbinbilla, in Canberra, Australia.

ᴰᵉᵉᵖ ˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵘⁿᶦᶜᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉˣ

CDSCC supports missions by providing communication with spacecraft exploring the solar system and beyond, and it can communicate with certain spacecraft, like Voyager 1 and 2, that no other antenna on Earth can.

ˡᵃʳᵍᵉ ʳᵃᵈᶦᵒ ᵈᶦˢʰᵉˢ

The complex includes four large radio dishes and operates on a "follow the sun" model to provide 24/7 contact by managing other stations in Spain and California during its shifts.

At the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, they have support officials to describe everything in detail.

ᵀʰᵉ ᵃᵘᵈᶦᵗᵒʳᶦᵘᵐ

They regularly play shows on how NASA missions work and are supported from this center.

They describe

• Role of Deep Space Network

• Global communication.

• Follow the sun operations

• CSIRO has managed the complex for NASA since 2010.

• CDSCC is part of NASA's Deep Space Network.

• Tracking spacecraft in the solar system

• Providing continuous two-way radio contact with spacecraft exploring the solar system.

They have three DSN stations, along with Goldstone, California, and Madrid in Spain.

During its daytime hours, the Canberra team controls the antennas in Goldstone and Madrid to ensure continuous communication with spacecraft around the clock.

Mission support supports over 30 spacecraft, from those exploring the inner solar system to the distant outer solar system and beyond.

Critical capabilities The complex's 70-meter antenna, DSS-43, is the only one on Earth capable of sending commands to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.

What you can see and do AT CDSCC

Located in Tidbinbilla, this visitor center provides exhibits on space exploration, real space hardware, and a piece of the Moon returned by the Apollo 11 mission.

Antenna views

We saw the complex's antennas, including the massive 70-meter dish.

• Educational programs: The center offers school programs and other educational sessions.

• Exhibits including spacesuits, models of spacecraft, and interactive displays.

• Four antennas, one big 70 mt and three smaller ones 34-meter dishes..

⁷⁰ ᵐᵉᵗᵉʳ ᵈᶦˢʰ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᶜᵃʳ ᴾᵃʳᵏᶦⁿᵍ

OSIRIS-REx the first US mission to return a sample from an asteroid. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is involved tracking and communication support for NASA mission.

ᴰᵉᵉᵖ ˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵘⁿᶦᶜᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉˣ ᴼᶠᶠᶦᶜᶦᵃˡˢ ᵈᵉˢᶜʳᶦᵇᵉ

This mission is also involved in bringing asteroid samples that helps scientists understand early Solar System during the Sun and planets were in their early stages.

ᵀʳᵃᵛᵉˡᵉᵈ ᶜˡᵒˢᵉ ᵗᵒ ᶠᵒᵘʳ ᵇᶦˡˡᶦᵒⁿ ᵏᶦˡᵒᵐᵉᵗᵉʳˢ

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has traveled close to four billion kilometers since its launch nine years ago in 2016. A large-boulder like object, and a close up of it's surface.

ᵀᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᴹᵒᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ

 
To the Moon and back, the synergy of space-tech and everyday life.

The Team in Canberra with two Deep Space Network Stations in Spain and the United States on its extended mission to explore asteroid, Apophis.

This capsule entered Earth’s atmosphere and landed on the test and training range in Utah's Desert.

ᵀʰᶦˢ ᶜᵃᵖˢᵘˡᵉ ᵉⁿᵗᵉʳᵉᵈ ᴱᵃʳᵗʰ’ˢ ᵃᵗᵐᵒˢᵖʰᵉʳᵉ

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

OSIRIS-REx which stands for "Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer" The NASA mission, led by the University of Arizona.

The spacecraft to find the best place to collect a sample.

ᴹᵃʳˢ ᴱˣᵖˡᵒʳᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᴿᵒᵛᵉʳ

As most space technology, these systems can apply back to Earth to reduce impact on our home planet.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft contacting the asteroid

The Scientist says we are learning more about the asteroid’s trajectory and its physical and chemical properties to gain critical insights into what to do to mitigate any future collision scenarios.

They say, knowing more about asteroids will help decode the secrets of the formation of the early solar system and provide greater knowledge from potential threats from space.

The searches for alien life started decades ago but its legacy lives on as NASA’s Deep Space Network continues to support this extended mission OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer at its Canberra Center.

ˢᵖᵃᶜᵉ ᵐᶦˢˢᶦᵒⁿˢ

 

General Information

Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex	Tidbinbilla
GoogleMap	Location
Entry	Free
Parking	Free
Cafe & Gift shop	Yes
Website	https://www.cdscc.nasa.gov/
Opning Hours
SteemAtlas PIN	//:# (!steematlas -35.43570577 lat 148.88165796 long Deep Space Communication Complex, Canberra d3scr)

ᶜᵃᶠᵉ&ᴳᶦᶠᵗˢʰᵒᵖ

Note: All information is available at Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex Canberra and its website

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