AWARDS: Advanced microwave radiometers for deep space stations
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2013

The objective of this study, named AWARDS (Advanced microWAve Radiometers in Deep space Stations), is the preliminary design of a transmission Media Calibration System (MCS) to be located at an ESA Deep Space Antenna (DSA) site. The crucial aspect is the capability to accurately retrieve the tropospheric path delay along the line-of-sight of the deep space probe in order to allow precise tropospheric calibration of deep space observables (range and range-rate) with particular reference to the BepiColombo spacecraft and its primary DSA at Cebreros (ES). The study focuses on two main aspects which lead to the preliminary design of the Mercury Orbiter Radioscience Experiment (MORE) MCS: the characterization of current microwave radiometers (MWRs) available at ESA/ESTEC and the atmospheric fluctuation effects on the MCS error budget, in terms of the Allan standard deviation (ASD). In the course of the study, further critical aspects have been identified (effects of Sun contamination, effects of ground noise emission), and mitigation strategies have been proposed. The final outcome is a preliminary design of the MWR (and the entire MCS) to be deployed at the ESA/ESTRACK (ESA Tracking station network) sites and being compliant with MORE requirements.

troposphere calibration

deep space tracking

Microwave radiometer

Författare

P. Tortora

Universita di Bologna

S. Crewell

Universität zu Köln

Gunnar Elgered

Chalmers, Rymd- och geovetenskap, Rymdgeodesi och geodynamik

A. Graziani

Universita di Bologna

Per O. J. Jarlemark

SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut AB

U. Loehonert

Universität zu Köln

A. Martellucci

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

M. Mercolino

European Space Operations Centre

T. Rose

RPG Radiometer Physics GmbH

J. Schween

Universität zu Köln

Space Communications

0924-8625 (ISSN)

Vol. 22 2-4 159-170

Ämneskategorier

Meteorologi och atmosfärforskning

Annan fysik

Kommunikationssystem

Fundament

Grundläggande vetenskaper

DOI

10.3233/SC-130011

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Senast uppdaterat

2023-10-03