Count among NASA’s growing list of underfunded priorities the venerable but increasingly creaky Deep Space Network, which enables scientists to keep in touch with probes operating throughout the vast solar system, and perhaps even beyond. Without major upgrades, the global network of big-dish antennas and related infrastructure likely will be taxed beyond its capabilities in the not-too-distant future. Meanwhile, NASA has not done a very good job of coordinating mission-specific upgrades to the system in a manner that best serves the agency’s long-term needs.
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