“The Malindi dish has two heads, or ‘brains’, and at any point, one or the other is controlling the antenna while receiving orders from either the launch operator, Arianespace, or Webb tracking computers. To switch over, we would stop the antenna for a few seconds and literally switch the cable from one tracking system to the other, interrupting its movement for about 20 seconds.”

From the moment of separation, Malindi will have three phases of visibility with the mission; at first, the ESA station will be in a ‘private call’ with Webb for the first hour after separation, after which point NASA’s Deep Space Antenna in Canberra will join the call and Malindi will switch to backup. When the spacecraft is no longer visible from Canberra, Malindi will again take over the reins one more time before NASA’s Madrid station joins the call.