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<h2 id="ground-stations">Ground stations</h2> <p>NEN uses several stations run by NASA: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Alaska_Satellite_Facility/TppnzMP8">Alaska Satellite Facility</a> in <a href="/facts/Fairbanks%2c_Alaska/AbtuJ82z">Fairbanks, Alaska</a>— Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 11.3m/11m/9.1m</li> <li>Kennedy Uplink Station, <a href="/facts/Merritt_Island_Spaceflight_Tracking_and_Data_Network_station/kXCnLoYG">Merritt Island Launch Annex</a> (MILA)— Supports: S-band - Assets: 6.1m</li> <li><a href="/facts/McMurdo_Station/WFgwNaqk">McMurdo</a>, <a href="/facts/Antarctica/bEM5Lem5">Antarctica</a>— Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 10m</li> <li>Ponce de Leon Station, <a href="/facts/Florida/cF245A3Q">Florida</a> — Supports: S-band - Assets: 6.1m<a href="https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/mila/pdl.html">[1]</a></li></ul> <ul><li>Wallops Ground Station, in <a href="/facts/Wallops_Island/t5o5CkhD">Wallops Island</a>, <a href="/facts/Virginia/g2kucGdn">Virginia</a>— Supports: VHF, S/X Band — Assets: 11m/5m</li> <li>White Sands Ground Station, <a href="/facts/New_Mexico/wosJCGaW">New Mexico</a> — Supports: VHF, S/Ka Band — Assets: 18.3m</li></ul> <p>NEN uses Stations run by KSAT — <a href="/facts/Kongsberg_Satellite_Services/ac6ILLoB">Kongsberg Satellite Services</a>: </p> <ul><li>Singapore — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 9.1m</li> <li><a href="/facts/Svalbard_Satellite_Station/5cBwx7RN">Svalbard Satellite Station</a> <a href="/facts/Norway/wlDRKRTR">Norway</a> — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 11.3m/11.3m/13m</li> <li><a href="/facts/Troll_Satellite_Station/HpVLYQ2I">TrollSat</a>, <a href="/facts/Antarctica/bEM5Lem5">Antarctica</a> — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 7.3m/7.3m</li></ul> <p>NEN uses a Station run by SANSA — <a href="/facts/South_African_National_Space_Agency/IHgS9kq2">South African National Space Agency</a>: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Hartebeesthoek_Radio_Astronomy_Observatory/f1InwfQ1">Hartebeesthoek</a>, <a href="/facts/South_Africa/vvXQpLgq">South Africa</a> — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 12m/10m</li> <li>A new ground station is under construction in <a href="/facts/Matjiesfontein/LnM8qv1n">Matjiesfontein</a>, scheduled to come online in 2025. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></li></ul> <p>NEN uses Stations run by SSC — <a href="/facts/Swedish_Space_Corporation/XS4Q2nId">Swedish Space Corporation</a> </p> <ul><li>Kiruna, Sweden — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 13m/13m</li> <li><a href="/facts/Santiago/JfuaYt26">Santiago</a>, Chile— Supports: S Band — Assets: 9m/12m/13m</li> <li>SSC Space US <a href="/facts/North_Pole%2c_Alaska/3HtX6t76">North Pole, Alaska</a>— Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 5.4m/7.3m/11m/13m</li> <li>SSC Space US <a href="/facts/Dongara%2c_Western_Australia/SYnGcd1V">Dongara</a>, <a href="/facts/Australia/qLHpbppq">Australia</a> — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 13m</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ka_Lae/mRzTyE1e">Space US South Point</a>, <a href="/facts/Hawaii/ImxFefeK">Hawaii</a> — Supports: S/X Band — Assets: 13m/13m</li></ul> <p>Also under contract was <a href="/facts/Poker_Flat_Research_Range/pkIUHtd7">Poker Flat Research Range</a>. Additionally, the MILA and Wallops stations provide pre-launch, launch, and landing communications support for the <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_program/6Ikdvwsw">Space Shuttle program</a>. </p> <h2 id="authority-and-responsibility">Authority and responsibility</h2> <p>The NEN falls under NASA's SOMD (Space Operations Mission Directorate), interoperating with the <a href="/facts/Space_Communications_and_Navigation_Program/ACQb6kJm">SCaN</a> Program offices. The <a href="/facts/Goddard_Space_Flight_Center/WfoEKknM">Goddard Space Flight Center</a> Ground Network Project has responsibility for maintaining the NEN, as well as implementing the <a href="/facts/Satellite_laser_ranging/y5GjpCNF">Satellite laser ranging</a> (SLR) Network. </p> <h2 id="support-for-constellation">Support for Constellation</h2> <p>The NEN was slated to support the <a href="/facts/Constellation_Program/cRaB3DjN">Constellation Program</a>, including the <a href="/facts/Ares/8KHUz1L5">Ares</a> launch vehicle, NISN (<a href="/facts/NASA_Integrated_Services_Network/TVMfDynu">NASA Integrated Services Network</a>), FDF (Flight Dynamics Facilities), <a href="/facts/Kennedy_Space_Center/zmwszuPr">KSC</a> Launch Control Center, and the Constellation Mission Control Center (MCC). Constellation has since been canceled. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Spaceflight portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Deep_Space_Network/IcapMQTR">Deep Space Network (DSN)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Eastern_Range/FppmhMY8">Eastern Range (ER)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Indian_Deep_Space_Network/IggLuu7l">Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Space_Communications_and_Navigation_Program/ACQb6kJm">Space Communications and Navigation Program (SCaN)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Space_Network/r4USfmM7">Space Network (SN)</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Tracking_and_Data_Relay_Satellite/dycpN8r9">Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="footnotes">Footnotes</h2> <ul><li>Constellation Architecture Requirements Document (CARD), CxP 70000, Revision C (December 25, 2008). NASA: Constellation Systems Engineering and Integration Office</li> <li>Space Network User's Guide (SNUG), 450-SNUG, Rev 9.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120310172244/http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/space-communications/NEN.html">NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Near Earth Network Official Page</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/nen">[2]</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Exploration and Space Communications Projects Division (August 2007). Space Network User's Guide (SNUG), 2.4, Supporting Elements Outside the SN, (e), "Ground Network (GN)" (Rev 9 ed.). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. p. 2.13. 450-SNUG. <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"South Africa's new ground station to help NASA track space flights". Reuters. Retrieved November 17, 2022. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/south-africas-new-ground-station-help-nasa-track-space-flights-2022-11-08/" target="_blank">https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/south-africas-new-ground-station-help-nasa-track-space-flights-2022-11-08/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Deborah Faboade (November 8, 2022). "South Africa and NASA Renew Lunar Exploration Partnership". Space in Africa. <a href="https://africanews.space/south-africa-and-nasa-renew-lunar-exploration-partnership/" target="_blank">https://africanews.space/south-africa-and-nasa-renew-lunar-exploration-partnership/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>