Why was this Deep Space Station nicknamed the “Mars Antenna”? 🤔⁣⁣ ⁣ On March 18, 1966, NASA's Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14) received its first signals from the first spacecraft to closely observe Mars, Mariner 4. Originally a 64 meter (210 foot) antenna, DSS-14 was upgraded to 70 meters (230 feet) in May 1988 to receive the faint signals transmitted by Voyager 2 as it encountered Neptune.⁣ ⁣ The Mars Antenna has supported missions that include Pioneer, Cassini and the Mars Exploration Rovers, and received Neil Armstrong's famous communiqué from Apollo 11. It has also helped with imaging nearby planets, asteroids, and comets by bouncing its powerful radar signal off the objects of study. DSS-14 continues to receive signals from missions like Voyager 1, which entered into interstellar space eight years ago this month.⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA⁣⁣ ⁣ #nasa #space #exploration #deepspace #voyager