NASA Conducts Cybersecurity Review of Deep Space Network

NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) NOW website has been taken offline as NASA conducts what they are calling a "cybersecurity review" for future Artemis missions.

In early February visitors starts to be greeted with a message that the site was "undergoing maintenance" but no other information was provided. “NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is in the process of performing updates on the Deep Space Network NOW website,”

An updated message now states. “The Deep Space Network NOW website is not available during this period, and we apologize for any inconvenience.”

On February 13th a employee at the DSN Canberra, Australia site tweeted

[tweet https://twitter.com/nascom1/status/1625262413967949837]

What is DSN Now?

DSN NOW is a website that provided a graphical presentation of the current activities of the Deep Space Network's antennas in Australia, California and Space. Proving realtime information about what each antenna is transmitting and/or receiving data from satellites and spacecrafts across the universe.

Why Under Review?

The cybersecurity review follows NASA extensive use of the Deep Space Network for the Artemis 1 mission. Industry sources say NASA is concerned that DSN NOW had the ability to reveal information about the communication with Artemis that could have enabled eavesdropping or even jamming of communication with the Orion spacecraft.

Other Concerns

In December 2022, Philip Baldwin, Network Operations Manager for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program gave a presentation to NASA’s Planetary Science Advisory Committee where he warned that demand for use of the Deep Space Network from both science missions and Artemis would far exceed DSN's capacity by end of the decade.

NASA is now looking at ways to enhance an expand the Deep Space Networks capabilities without overbuilding the network with too much capacity. Options there considering include using other antennas that are not currently part of the DSN as well as using data relay assets at the Moon and Mars