The new installation is part of ESA’s broader effort to ensure Europe’s independence and leadership in space by expanding its deep-space communication infrastructure. Speaking at the event on 4 October, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said: “This strategic investment reinforces ESA’s deep-space communication capabilities and maximises the return of our missions’ most valuable asset: data delivered from spacecraft voyaging far from Earth.”
The project also signals a strengthening of international cooperation between Europe and Australia in the space sector. “New and exciting opportunities between the European and Australian space sectors are opening up with Australia announcing this week a mandate to begin negotiations on a cooperative agreement with ESA,” Aschbacher added.
