Advanced deep space communication systems study Final report

Deep space communication system requirements for period 1970 to 198

DARIS, a fleet of passive formation flying small satellites for low frequency radio astronomy

DARIS (Distributed Aperture Array for Radio Astronomy In Space) is a mission to conduct radio astronomy in the low frequency region from 1-10MHz. This region has not yet been explored, as the Earth's ionosphere is opaque to those frequencies, and so a space based observatory is the only solution. DARIS will undertake an extragalactic survey of the low frequency sky, and can also detect some transient radio events such as solar or planetary bursts. To achieve these scientific objectives, DARIS comprises a space-based array, forming a very large effective aperture, as required for such a long wavelength survey. Each station in the array (each required to be a small satellite to ensure several nodes can be flown) carries three orthogonal dipole antennas, each 5m in length. The more station nodes in the array, the more sensitive the antenna. The entire fleet remains within a 100km diameter cloud. \ud A very large data volume is generated by each node, as the antennas have to capture all radio signals, after which the data can be correlated to find the astronomical signal in the noise. As the astronomical signals also have a noise-like nature, no compression is possible on the data captured by the nodes. The data volume is too high to transfer directly to Earth, and will need to be correlated in space. Distributed correlation between the nodes is technically challenging, and therefore a mothership acts as the central correlator and then downlinks the correlated data (lower volume) to Earth. \u

Determination of optical technology experiments for a satellite

Optical technology experiments for satellite - communications, acquisition, tracking, lasers, photometry, and atmospheric

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

This quarterly publication provides archival reports on developments in programs managed by JPL's Telecommunications and Mission Operations Directorate (TMOD), which now includes the former Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) Office. In space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio and radar astronomy, it reports on activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) in planning, supporting research and technology, implementation, and operations. Also included are standards activity at JPL for space data and information systems and reimbursable DSN work performed for other space agencies through NASA. The preceding work is all performed for NASA's Office of Space Communications (OSC). TMOD also performs work funded by other NASA program offices through and with the cooperation of OSC. The first of these is the Orbital Debris Radar Program funded by the Office of Space Systems Development. It exists at Goldstone only and makes use of the planetary radar capability when the antennas are configured as science instruments making direct observations of the planets, their satellites, and asteroids of our solar system. The Office of Space Sciences funds the data reduction and science analyses of data obtained by the Goldstone Solar System Radar. The antennas at all three complexes are also configured for radio astronomy research and, as such, conduct experiments funded by the National Science Foundation in the U.S. and other agencies at the overseas complexes. These experiments are either in microwave spectroscopy or very long baseline interferometry. Finally, tasks funded under the JPL Director's Discretionary Fund and the Caltech President's Fund that involve TMOD are included. This and each succeeding issue of 'The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Progress Report' will present material in some, but not necessarily all, of the aforementioned programs

Experiment definition phase shuttle laboratory, LDRL-10.6 experiment. Shuttle sortie to ground receiver terminal

System development and technology are described for a carbon dioxide laser data transmitter capable of transmitting 400 Mbps over a shuttle to ground station link