GHY-6: 32m X/S-Band Antenna

The world's first commercial deep space communications antenna

A picture of Goonhilly's Operational Control Centre (OCA) - the area in which the Deep Space Network Operations Team work. Large screens display information about lunar and deep space missions and computer stations are lit dramatically.

32m GHY-6 antenna, used for lunar and deep space communications, is pointing towards its target, with a rainbow next to it.

Young members of Goonhilly's Deep Space Network Operations team sit in the Operational Control Centre (OCA), tracking a spacecraft for an international space agency

As the number of active lunar and deep space missions increases exponentially, a lack of specialist antennas worldwide leaves organisations struggling to acquire communications services to keep their spacecraft well-monitored, operational, and sending precious data back to Earth. Goonhilly’s GHY-6 antenna provides a commercial solution to prevent this comms bottleneck, facilitating the future of space exploration internationally.

Originally built for telecommunications in the 1980s, 32m GHY-6 underwent an £8.4 million refurbishment in 2019, transforming it into the world’s first privately owned lunar and deep space communications antenna upon its completion in 2021.

Since then, space agencies and private lunar missions alike have turned to Goonhilly for Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) and Payload Data Transmission (PDT) services. GHY-6 has provided support and control solutions for missions including NASA’s Artemis-1, ESA’s Mars Express, ispace’s HAKUTO-R M1, and many more. You can learn more about the missions we’re supporting beyond geostationary orbit on our dedicated page .

Equipped with X and S-Band amplifiers, state-of-the-art tracking and control technologies, and an upgraded HVAC system, the 32m antenna is qualified on NASA and ESA’s deep space networks and provides cost-effective access to a range of services.

GHY-6 is subject to 24/7/365 systems monitoring, troubleshooting, and control by our dedicated team of skilled mission operators, who work from our on-site Operational Control Area (OCA). Additional support is also provided by Goonhilly’s team of experienced second-line support engineers, based in Hampshire, UK, with the antenna also capable of being controlled from this location.

Image of VO comms station manufactured by GES ltd

32m aperture
Dual-band X and S feed - capable of right and left polarisations, and simultaneous uplink and downlink
Industry-leading redundancy levels, including the ability to be operated from three separate locations, on and off-site
540° movement in azimuth
24/7 operations from state-of-the-art OCA
Designated on ESA's ESTRACK and NASA's Deep Space Network
Extensive experience working with space agencies and private companies
Recently upgraded HVAC systems, motors, gearboxes, and more

We can provide Space Domain Awareness (SDA) data from our base in Cornwall, UK.
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32m aperture
Dual-band X and S feed - capable of right and left polarisations, and simultaneous uplink and downlink
Industry-leading redundancy levels, including the ability to be operated from three separate locations, on and off-site
540° movement in azimuth
24/7 operations from state-of-the-art OCA
Designated on ESA's ESTRACK and NASA's Deep Space Network
Extensive experience working with space agencies and private companies
Recently upgraded HVAC system, motors, gearboxes, and more

32m aperture
Dual-band X and S feed - capable of right and left polarisations, and simultaneous uplink and downlink
Industry-leading redundancy levels, including the ability to be operated from three separate locations, on and off-site
540° movement in azimuth
24/7 operations from state-of-the-art OCA
Designated on ESA's ESTRACK and NASA's Deep Space Network
Extensive experience working with space agencies and private companies
Recently upgraded HVAC system, motors, gearboxes, and more