NASA Completes New 34‑Meter Antenna at Goldstone Deep Space Network

A recent NASA photo shows five 34‑meter antennas at the Deep Space Network’s Goldstone complex near Barstow, California. The new 34‑meter beam‑waveguide antenna, Deep Space Station 23 (DSS‑23), sits in the foreground. The other three 34‑meter dishes—DSS‑26, DSS‑25, and DSS‑24—are visible to the left. A smaller 26‑meter Apollo Antenna, built in 1967, appears at the far right. DSS‑23 was completed on Aug. 25, 2026, and a ceremonial ribbon‑cutting was held with NASA leadership, personnel, and dignitaries. The antenna is the latest addition under the Deep Space Network’s Aperture Enhancement Project. The project, launched in 2009, added six new 34‑meter multifrequency beam‑waveguide antennas to the DSN. The network, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, tracks, commands, and receives data from distant spacecraft.