New NASA tracking dish for Australia

NASA will construct a second new state-of-the-art antenna, DSS36, at the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex at Tidbinbilla.

The confirmation of DSS36, to be completed by 2016, follows NASA's announcement last year that it would build another dish at Tidbinbilla, DSS35.

NASA estimates that each 34m Beam Wave Guide Antenna will cost approx US$45m.

NASA's long term commitment to developing space infrastructure in Australia was warmly welcomed by Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr.

"I'm thrilled that Tidbinbilla will be the first node of the global deep space communications network to receive this upgrade," Senator Carr said at a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Australia-US space partnership at Parliament House.

"The new antenna is a multi-decade commitment to continue using the Tidbinbilla complex as a hub for deep space communication.

"Australia has derived enormous benefit from working with the US on space and space exploration— it is fantastic to see NASA investing in new opportunities to continue this.

"As we mark 50 years of working with NASA, this is a great endorsement of the strength of our partnership in space discovery.

"It recognises our efforts to boost Australia's involvement in a wide range of space activities, including communications, navigation, earth observation and fundamental astronomy to help us understand our place in the universe. Space science is a focus of the Government's $1.1 billion Super Science Initiative."

A groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction of the first of these antennas, DSS35, was held at Tidbinbilla on February 25.

"The two new antennas will join existing dishes at Tidbinbilla to provide NASA with the latest space vehicle tracking technology. They will build on the great work done supporting deep space explorations to Mars and Saturn, and of course the first moon landing.

"This is a growth industry we are determined to be part of, with launches of deep space missions expected to increase over the next decade."