NASA Assures Artemis II Mission Can Proceed Despite Damaged Deep Space Antenna

In a recent development, NASA has assured that the Artemis II mission can proceed without its large, damaged deep space antenna, despite concerns over the reliability of its space communication infrastructure. The 230-foot-wide antenna, also known as the Mars Antenna, at the Goldstone Complex near Barstow, California, has been out of service for four months due to damage sustained during operations.

The incident occurred on September 16, 2025, when the antenna over-rotated, straining cables and pipes at its center, causing flooding due to damaged hoses from the fire suppression system. NASA promptly addressed the water damage and established a formal mishap investigation board to determine the cause of the damage and plan repairs.

According to Ian O’Neill, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory spokesperson, “There are no impacts on Artemis II communications because DSS-14 wasn’t part of the mission planning, even before its unplanned outage.” This statement was reported by Mashable, which was among the first outlets to break the news of the accident.

The Artemis II mission, slated for a potential February launch, marks the first crewed flight to the moon in over half a century. With four astronauts set to fly in the Orion spacecraft, concerns over the reliability of the space communication infrastructure ← →