Announced today by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the project will see Goonhilly upgraded to enable it to provide deep-space tracking and satellite communication services on a commercial basis.
It will be the first time the UK has had the capability to communicate directly with deep-space missions.
In the future, Goonhilly will complement the capability of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s worldwide ground station network, currently comprising seven core stations supporting more than 20 earth, observatory, planetary and exploration spacecraft, as well as European launchers.
The Goonhilly contract is being funded through the LEP’s Growth Deal with the UK Government, via ESA. The investment will see ESA working with Goonhilly to upgrade one of its largest antennas, the 32m-diameter GHY-6 antenna - built in 1985 and used almost immediately to carry the Live Aid concert around the world - to meet the high-end performance...