The Artemis program is far more than a return to the Moon; it’s a blueprint for humanity’s future in space. Beyond lunar exploration, it envisions constructing the first space station orbiting another celestial body, orchestrating complex rendezvous missions between different spacecraft, and establishing the groundwork for enduring human outposts on the Moon.
This ambitious endeavor, which will eventually extend to Mars, demands robust communication capabilities. Earth currently relies on two antenna networks Deep Space Network (DSN) and Near Space Network (NSN) to maintain contact with its distant explorers.
While DSN primarily handles communication with spacecraft venturing far beyond Earth, such as Voyager, NSN focuses on closer destinations, including the Moon and the Sun-Earth Lagrange points L1 and L2, the latter being home to the James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA is expanding its communication capabilities with the Moon through the development of Lunar Exploration Ground Sites (LEGS). These 66-foot antenna dishes will be strategically placed around the globe to ensure uninterrupted contact with lunar missions.
The first three LEGS are scheduled for completion this decade in New Mexico, South Africa, and Australia, with the latter’s location yet to be determined. This network will significantly enhance the Near Space Network (NSN), relieving the workload of the Deep Space Network and enabling seamless communication for Artemis missions, the Gateway space station, and lunar surface operations.
LEGS will employ dual-band technology for data transmission, with plans for a third band to accommodate increased data volume and support crewed missions. This critical infrastructure will be instrumental in establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and advancing NASA’s Moon to Mars initiative.
