GAO: The DSN is actually falling apart Options

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-06-445

[elakdawalla]

There was a lengthy presentation by Bob Preston from the DSN at OPAG on what the DSN wants and needs to do to improve over the coming decades, and it basically involves replacing all the gigantic, one-of-a-kind antennas with arrays of 6-, 12-, or 18-meter dishes (they are still experimenting to figure out which one will be the optimal size). Unlike the big dishes, each of which needs its own operator, whole arrays can be operated by a single person; also they can plan to have some percentage of all the dishes down at any given time for routine maintenance. Also they can just devote as many dishes as they need to a single spacecraft, splitting the array to support several spacecraft at once or using the whole array for high bandwidth. They've got to be replaced because the big dishes cannot be upgraded to support Ka-band communications.

--Emily