The Near Earth Network ( NEN , formerly GN or Ground Network ) provides orbital communications support for near-Earth orbiting customer platforms via various ground stations, operated by NASA and other space agencies. It uses a number of different dishes scattered around the globe. The antennas must be able to move fast for tracking of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO). The NEN and Space Network (SN) combined were previously referred to as the Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (STDN).
5-457: NEN uses several stations run by NASA: NEN uses Stations run by KSAT — Kongsberg Satellite Services : NEN uses a Station run by SANSA — South African National Space Agency : NEN uses Stations run by SSC — Swedish Space Corporation Also under contract was Poker Flat Research Range . Additionally, the MILA and Wallops stations provide pre-launch, launch, and landing communications support for
10-573: A provider of ground network services and maritime monitoring services KSAT headquarters is in Tromsø , Norway , with sales offices in Oslo , Stockholm and Denver, Colorado . KSAT AS is part of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norwegian Kongsberg Gruppen , an international technology group, that supplies high-technology to merchant marine , defence , aerospace , offshore oil and gas industries, and renewable and utilities industries. KSAT
15-877: The Space Shuttle program . The NEN falls under NASA's SOMD (Space Operations Mission Directorate), interoperating with the SCaN Program offices. The Goddard Space Flight Center Ground Network Project has responsibility for maintaining the NEN, as well as implementing the Satellite laser ranging (SLR) Network. The NEN was slated to support the Constellation Program , including the Ares launch vehicle, NISN ( NASA Integrated Services Network ), FDF (Flight Dynamics Facilities), KSC Launch Control Center, and
20-603: The Constellation Mission Control Center (MCC). Constellation has since been canceled. Kongsberg Satellite Services 69°39′43″N 18°56′32″E / 69.66196°N 18.94225°E / 69.66196; 18.94225 Kongsberg Satellite Services AS ( KSAT ) is a Norwegian-based company. KSAT has the most extensive ground station network globally , and the world's largest ground station for support of polar orbiting satellites located at 78° North - Svalbard , Norway . They are
25-422: Was established in 2002, though its roots may be traced back to 1967 when the Tromsø ground station was inaugurated. By mid 2021 KSAT had approximately 270 employees. The company's global ground network consists of more than 200 antennas at 23 sites worldwide, this provides optimized locations for satellites in polar, inclined and equatorial orbits . Everything is remotely monitored and controlled and from
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