The European Space Agency (ESA) has improved its global space communication infrastructure with the opening of its latest 35-meter diameter deep space antenna, named ‘New Norcia 3.’ Located about 115 kilometers north of Perth in Western Australia, this installation is the fourth deep space asset in ESA’s worldwide Estrack tracking network and the second at the New Norcia ground station. This makes it the first Estrack site to have two large-scale communication dishes. The antenna officially opened on October 4th, and it is set to enter service in 2026.
Construction of the antenna began in 2021 and represents an important investment to meet the growing data download needs of Europe’s various space missions, and this effort strengthens the continent’s independence and leadership in space exploration. Completing the project successfully and on time highlights the strong teamwork between ESA, European industry—led by co-prime contractors Thales Alenia Space (France) and Schwartz Hautmont Construcciones Metálicas (Spain)—and Australian partners, including several local companies, and the total construction cost was around EUR 62.3 million, with a significant EUR 3 million contribution from the Australian Space Agency (ASA).
‘New Norcia 3′ is a remarkable engineering achievement, featuring advanced technology in the Estrack network. Its sensitivity is enhanced by using components that are cryogenically cooled to nearly absolute zero, about −263°C. For sending commands, the dish has a powerful 20 kW radio-frequency amplifier, which allows communication with missions billions of kilometers from Earth. Its advanced clock, timing systems, and top-quality radio frequency tools boost its capabilities for deep space communication.
The new antenna will be a key asset for ESA’s wide range of scientific, exploration, and space safety missions. Once operational, it will support major missions such as the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice), Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Mars Express, Euclid, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, and Hera. Furthermore, it will significantly contribute to upcoming projects such as Plato, Envision, Ariel, Ramses, and Vigil. Beyond ESA’s missions, the antenna will promote international teamwork through cross-support arrangements with partner agencies such as NASA, Japan’s JAXA, and India’s ISRO, as well as commercial space missions. Moreover, this cooperation will enhance global scientific output and operational efficiency.
The station’s location at New Norcia offers an ideal geographical position, working alongside ESA’s other deep space stations in Malargüe (Argentina) and Cebreros (Spain) to provide continuous coverage for deep space operations. At the inauguration, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher noted that the investment “reinforces ESA’s Deep Space communication capabilities and maximizes the return of our missions’ most valuable asset: data delivered from spacecraft voyaging far from Earth.” The head of the ASA, Enrico Palermo, described the project as a new chapter in the Australian-European space partnership, one that will unlock significant local economic value and jobs over its expected 50-year lifespan. The New Norcia station, where CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, operates the antennas, also has a smaller 4.5-meter dish for tracking launchers and an antenna for calibrating the Biomass mission.
