| DESCRIPTION |
Deep Space Station 55 (DSS-55) became operational in 2003. The antenna is very similar in structure to earlier 34-m DSN antennas; however the transmission and reception equipment is located underground rather than in a cone at the focal point of the dish. The radio signal is guided from the subreflector through a hole in the surface of the dish to the receiving equipment via a system of reflecting mirrors inside a large tube. The reverse path allows transmission. This 'beam waveguide' (BWG) design reduces weight on the reflecting surface, insulates electronics from environmental factors including dish movement, and simplifies maintenance. DSS-55 can transmit up to 20 kW at 7.1 GHz; it is expected to have an 800 W transmitter at 34.5 GHz by late 2024. It can receive simultaneous right- and left-circularly polarized signals at 8.4 and 32.0 GHz. Antenna coordinates were converted from Table 5 in module 301 (revision L) of the DSN Telecommunications Link Design Handbook (DSN document 810-005). The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) has been managed since December 2012 by Ingenier??a de Sistemas para la Defensa de Espa?ħa. MDSCC is located about 65 km west of Madrid, near the town of Robledo de Chevala, Spain.
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