Deep space communication involves transmitting data to and from satellites and spacecraft beyond Earth's atmosphere. It utilizes a global network of antennas to acquire telemetry from spacecraft, transmit commands, and gather science data across vast distances in space. The first deep space communication stations were established in the late 1950s and 1960s to support early US space missions. Today's deep space network, operated by NASA and ESA, employs large radio antennas around the world to communicate with missions throughout the solar system and gain new insights into the wider universe through radio astronomy observations.