Overview

• ESA opened the 35‑metre “New Norcia 3” dish near Perth after final calibration, including a first signal received from the Euclid spacecraft.
• The antenna is scheduled to enter operational service in 2026 to support current flagships such as Juice, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Mars Express and Hera, and upcoming missions including Plato, EnVision, Ariel, Ramses and Vigil.
• The system includes receivers cooled to about −263°C for extreme sensitivity, a 20 kW transmitter for commanding distant spacecraft, and the network’s first planned use of AI for signal detection and pointing optimisation.
• Once active, New Norcia will become ESA’s first site with two deep‑space dishes, operated by CSIRO with cross‑support available to NASA, JAXA, ISRO and commercial missions.
• ESA estimates the project cost at €62.3 million, including €3 million from the Australian Space Agency, with European primes and Australian firms contributing and long‑term local economic benefits projected.