The European Deep Space Antenna Alliance (E-DSA²) – formed by Thales Alenia Space, Schwartz Hautmont, and mtex antenna technology – has celebrated the inauguration of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) NNO-3 deep space antenna at the New Norcia ground station near Perth, Australia. The event, held on October 4, marks a major milestone for ESA’s ESTRACK global network of ground stations.
This new-generation 35-meter antenna will enhance ESA’s communication capabilities across the X, K, and Ka frequency bands, expanding the agency’s global network for tracking and collecting scientific data from spacecraft across the solar system. The NNO-3 will support missions such as the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, currently orbiting the Red Planet, and Euclid, which is mapping one-third of the sky to study dark matter and dark energy. Future missions, including Plato, scheduled for launch next year to detect and observe exoplanets, will also benefit from this advanced capability.
Recently, NNO-3 successfully received its first signal from the Euclid spacecraft, marking the beginning of its operational service. Deep space antennas like NNO-3 are designed to detect extremely faint signals and amplify them for reliable two-way communication, enabling the reception of scientific data and the uploading of commands to distant space probes.
Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), served as the consortium partner responsible for the antenna’s overall performance, systems engineering, and key subsystems, including radio frequency, power, and cooling. Schwartz Hautmont managed the mechanical structure engineering, manufacturing, and installation, while mtex antenna technology oversaw the mechanical design, procurement, installation, and testing.
ESA’s first and fourth deep space antennas, in New Norcia, Australia
“I would like to thank the European Space Agency for placing its trust in our consortium to carry out the manufacturing of the second Deep Space Antenna in New Norcia, now the fourth in ESA’s network,” said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “This first major success for the E-DSA² consortium will surely pave the way for other opportunities in the institutional market and beyond.”
Antonio Aldecoa, CEO of Schwartz Hautmont, added: “This project, which started as a challenge to improve the performance of existing antennas, has extracted the best of each E-DSA² consortium member. We are happy to deliver this state-of-the-art antenna and are grateful to ESA for having trusted us.”
The inauguration of NNO-3 reinforces ESA’s commitment to advancing deep space communications, providing critical infrastructure to support Europe’s most ambitious interplanetary exploration missions.