@NASASCaN

This account has been sunset. For news on NASA networking and navigation capabilities, check out @NASASpaceOps, @NASA_Technology, and other NASA accounts.

 Washington, DC
nasa.gov/scan
Joined December 2012
  • Tweets3.6K
  • Following222
  • Followers83.5K
1.8KMedia
Important update: This account is being consolidated, but we’ll continue to post about our networking and navigation capabilities over at @NASASpaceOps, @NASA_Technology, and on mission-specific accounts. Learn about NASA's social media consolidation: go.nasa.gov/4l5Ga3t
This sunset photo shows Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14), the 230-foot-wide (70-meter) antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The network's three complexes around the globe support communications with dozens of deep space missions. DSS-14 is also the agency's Goldstone Solar System Radar, which is used to observe asteroids that come close to Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ALT This sunset photo shows Deep Space Station 14 (DSS-14), the 230-foot-wide (70-meter) antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The network's three complexes around the globe support communications with dozens of deep space missions. DSS-14 is also the agency's Goldstone Solar System Radar, which is used to observe asteroids that come close to Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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SCaN recently advanced @NASA’s efforts to commercialize space communications services by issuing a Request for Information for insight into industry’s Earth proximity space relay services. Respond to the solicitation before July 11, 2025, at 5:00 PM EDT: bit.ly/4kJOzJo.
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Venturing to the Moon & Mars will require stellar comm & nav services. @NASA selected Intuitive Machines to develop commercial lunar relays. These will allow assets & astronauts on the Moon to stay in near-constant contact with Earth. Learn more: go.nasa.gov/4aY1ZOv
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PACE, AQUA, XRISM, SDO, & many more missions rely on our networks to get their data home. How do we do it? With a global system of gov & commercial antennas. Now, we’re adding more commercial antennas, so we can increase the Near Space Net’s capacity. go.nasa.gov/3ZTnYB5
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With TDRS retiring, we’ve funded six commercial demos for near-Earth space relays. Each company is bringing their own unique approach and will demonstrate their capabilities by 2027. Who’s participating? Viasat, Inmarsat, SpaceX, SES, Kuiper, and Telesat. bit.ly/3RRGBSq
An artist's rendering of what a commercial relay network in low Earth orbit could look like. The colors scale blue, grey, white, and black. In the bottom right corner, the Earth is shown with white dots to indicate activity. Relay satellites hover "above" Earth.

ALT An artist's rendering of what a commercial relay network in low Earth orbit could look like. The colors scale blue, grey, white, and black. In the bottom right corner, the Earth is shown with white dots to indicate activity. Relay satellites hover "above" Earth.

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But why do we need space relays? Relays enable spacecraft that cannot see an antenna on Earth to transmit data home. Many missions transmit their data this way, including the @Space_Station, @NASAHubble, Fermi, Swift, and more.
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With commercial relays, NASA will be able to support more science and exploration missions transmitting data about our planet, the Moon, Mars, and the solar system beyond. Watch a recording of a recent town hall to learn more: go.nasa.gov/4jfP5hj
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Earlier this month, we met with the aerospace industry to discuss our plans for flying out our Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet and embracing commercial satellite communications capabilities. Watch a recording of the meeting: go.nasa.gov/4mhYA2g
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ARCHIVED NASA Space Communications and Navigation retweeted
NASA Universe
@NASAUniverse12 May 2025
Upgrade achieved. ✔ The @NASASCaN team upgraded the Near Space Network to support the SPHEREx mission. SPHEREx is mapping the sky and offering new insight into what happened a fraction of a second after the big bang. Learn more: go.nasa.gov/3GPmBNU
NASA’s SPHEREx observatory separates from its spacecraft after launch on March 11, 2025. The pale blue marble of Earth fills the upper right, its surface coated in clouds. A circular base with a flat, rectangular solar panel attached to it faces the camera. A large white cone extends from that, its opening facing the darkness of space. Metal hardware along the bottom edge of the image shows the portion of the launch vehicle that carried SPHEREx to orbit, where the camera is mounted. The image is watermarked “Credit: NASA.”

ALT NASA’s SPHEREx observatory separates from its spacecraft after launch on March 11, 2025. The pale blue marble of Earth fills the upper right, its surface coated in clouds. A circular base with a flat, rectangular solar panel attached to it faces the camera. A large white cone extends from that, its opening facing the darkness of space. Metal hardware along the bottom edge of the image shows the portion of the launch vehicle that carried SPHEREx to orbit, where the camera is mounted. The image is watermarked “Credit: NASA.”

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SPHEREx is mapping the sky & surveying over 450 million galaxies! To support SPHEREx, SCaN partnered with a commercial company & upgraded Near Space Network antennas. Now, SPHEREx can transmit ~20 gigabytes of data each day. bit.ly/4m41bwC
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ARCHIVED NASA Space Communications and Navigation retweeted
NASA JPL
@NASAJPL1 May 2025
Let the cosmic mapmaking begin! ✨ SPHEREx has started its science mission, scanning the entire sky in 102 infrared wavelengths to chart the positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies and uncover the universe's hidden secrets. go.nasa.gov/3EPrS7u
A portion of the sky is shown in an infrared wavelength similar to the color teal. This was captured by the SPHEREx space telescope as it scanned the sky and began its science operations. The portion of sky is dotted with hundreds of thousands of various sized stars and galaxies.

ALT A portion of the sky is shown in an infrared wavelength similar to the color teal. This was captured by the SPHEREx space telescope as it scanned the sky and began its science operations. The portion of sky is dotted with hundreds of thousands of various sized stars and galaxies.

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Taters the Cat won a Webby! 🐱 @NASA transmitted a video of Taters from the Psyche mission to Earth, testing laser comm links in deep space. The video traveled over 19 million miles & demonstrated laser comm as a viable technology for future exploration. bit.ly/445iVRQ

The NASA Cat Video Explained – Teachable Moment | NASA JPL Education

jpl.nasa.gov
NASA
@NASA23 Apr 2025
The results are in: We won 12 #Webbys, six of which were People’s Voice Awards! Thank you for voting for us – we love sharing space with you. go.nasa.gov/42Hxo3P
At the center is a thin vertical cloud known as Lynds 483 that is shaped like an hourglass with irregular edges. At lower center are two discrete bright white, tiny blobs of light that have raced away from the hidden central stars. The top lobe shows a more prominent orange U-shape. Orange bleeds into light purple, and brighter pink at its edges. Some background stars are visible through sections of this lobe. Higher up, there is an orange arc. Some brighter pink material extends to the top edges near the center. In the lower lobe, less orange is visible. More opaque light purple is in its top third, rippling out into semi-transparent blues and pinks. The lower lobe has more texture. V-shapes left and right of the lobes are darkest, and the background stars in these areas appear orange. Elsewhere, the black background of space is clearer, speckled with tiny white stars and faint orange galaxies. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

ALT At the center is a thin vertical cloud known as Lynds 483 that is shaped like an hourglass with irregular edges. At lower center are two discrete bright white, tiny blobs of light that have raced away from the hidden central stars. The top lobe shows a more prominent orange U-shape. Orange bleeds into light purple, and brighter pink at its edges. Some background stars are visible through sections of this lobe. Higher up, there is an orange arc. Some brighter pink material extends to the top edges near the center. In the lower lobe, less orange is visible. More opaque light purple is in its top third, rippling out into semi-transparent blues and pinks. The lower lobe has more texture. V-shapes left and right of the lobes are darkest, and the background stars in these areas appear orange. Elsewhere, the black background of space is clearer, speckled with tiny white stars and faint orange galaxies. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

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ARCHIVED NASA Space Communications and Navigation retweeted
Hubble
@NASAHubble23 Apr 2025
Thirty-five never looked better! Take a tour through Hubble's 35th anniversary images, narrated by senior project scientist Dr. Jennifer Wiseman. Explore more here: go.nasa.gov/4cIjrY2
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Today, @NASAHubble celebrates 35 years in orbit! The historic mission, which relies on our Near Space Network to transmit data to Earth, has transformed our understanding of the universe and led to new discoveries. Learn more here: go.nasa.gov/4lJ3kO4
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On April 20th the #LucyMission flew by asteroid Donaldjohanson & surveyed the asteroid using its 3 science instruments. Lucy’s science data is transmitted home through our Deep Space Network, and will help us study how planets in our Solar System were formed! go.nasa.gov/4cHZSPL
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ARCHIVED NASA Space Communications and Navigation retweeted
ARCHIVED - NASA Landsat@NASA_Landsat22 Apr 2025
Replying to @NASASCaN @NASAEarth
We couldn't do what we do without SCaN 📡💚
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ARCHIVED NASA Space Communications and Navigation retweeted
NASA Earth
@NASAEarth22 Apr 2025
Replying to @NASASCaN @NASA_Landsat
Happy Earth Day, @NASASCaN! Thanks for helping us see our beautiful planet from space. 🌎
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ARCHIVED NASA Space Communications and Navigation retweeted
NASA Earth
@NASAEarth22 Apr 2025
See Earth through our eyes. 🌎 NASA studies our home planet like no one else, observing Earth from land, air and space for more than 60 years. Happy #EarthDay!
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It’s #EarthDay! @NASAEarth-observing mission Landsat-9 uses SCaN’s Near Space Network to transmit over 1,400 images back to Earth every day. Now, you can use Landsat imagery to write your name. Check it out: go.nasa.gov/3Gfh0A3
SCaN written out using Landsat-9 imagery.

ALT SCaN written out using Landsat-9 imagery.

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