Malargüe station today

One of the world’s most sophisticated satellite tracking stations began operation in 2012 in Malargüe, Argentina, 1200 km west of Buenos Aires. The massive, 35 m-diameter antenna captures precious scientific data from missions voyaging hundreds of millions of kilometres into our Solar System.

Malargüe station completes the Agency’s trio of deep-space antenna – DSA – stations as part of the Estrack network and confirms ESA as one of the world’s most technologically advanced space organisations.

Joining DSA 1 in New Norcia, Australia, and DSA 2 in Cebreros, Spain, DSA 3 Malargüe provides the final leg in ESA’s global coverage for deep-space probes including, today, Mars Express, Venus Express, Rosetta, Herschel and Planck, and, in the future, Gaia, BepiColombo, ExoMars, Solar Orbiter and Juice.