Deep Space Communications

JIM TAYLOR is a principal engineer at JPL, working on telecommunications analysis, ground-system implementation, and flight operations for deep-space and Earth-orbiting projects. He was the founding telecommunications member of JPL’s Spaceflight Significant Events Group, now called Lessons Learned. He received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2000 for innovative use of the DS1 communications systems and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2006 for operational development and support on Deep impact.

• Foreword xvPreface xviiAcknowledgments xixContributors xxiiiChapter 1 Deep Space Communications: An Introduction  1by Joseph H. Yuen1.1 Introduction and Overview  11.2 Telecommunications Link Analysis  41.2.1 Received Power  41.2.2 Noise Spectral Density  51.2.3 Carrier Performance Margin  61.2.4 Telemetry and Command Performance Margins  61.2.5 Ranging Performance Margin  71.3 Communications Design Control  81.3.1 Design Control Tables  81.3.2 Design Procedure and Performance Criterion Selection  9References  12Chapter 2 The Deep Space Network: A Functional Description  15by Jim Taylor2.1 Uplink and Downlink Carrier Operation  172.1.1 The 34-m BWG Stations 172.1.2 The 70-m (DSS-14 and DSS-43) Stations 192.2 Radiometric Data (Doppler and Ranging)  212.3 Delta Differential One-Way Ranging  242.4 Command Processing and Radiation  252.5 Telemetry Demodulation and Decoding  282.6 DSN Performance  312.6.1 Antenna Gain  322.6.2 Transmitter Power 332.6.3 System Noise Temperature 332.6.4 Thresholds and Limits  33References  35Chapter 3 Voyager Telecommunications  37by Roger Ludwig and Jim Taylor3.1 Voyager Interstellar Mission Description  373.2 Overview of Telecom Functional Capabilities  443.2.1 Uplink  463.2.2 Downlink  473.3 Spacecraft Telecom System Design  483.3.1 Spacecraft Telecom System Overview 483.3.2 Modulation Demodulation Subsystem  513.3.3 Radio Frequency Subsystem  523.3.4 S/X-Band Antenna Subsystem  543.3.5 Telecom System Input Power and Mass  553.4 Telecom Ground System Description  563.4.1 Uplink and Downlink Carrier Operation  573.4.2 Command Processing  593.4.3 Telemetry Processing  593.5 Sample Telecom System Performance  603.5.1 Design Control Tables  613.5.2 Long-Term Planning Predicts  613.6 New Spacecraft and Ground Telecom Technology  643.6.1 Spacecraft and Telecom Link Design Compared with Previous Missions 643.6.2 Spacecraft Improvements for Uranus and Neptune Encounters 643.6.3 Ground System Performance Improvements  653.6.4 Ground Display and Operability Improvements 683.7 Operational Scenarios of the Voyager Interstellar Mission  693.7.1 Tracking Coverage 693.7.2 RFS Strategies 703.7.3 Spacecraft Fault Protection  72References 74Additional Resources  76Chapter 4 Galileo Telecommunications  79by Jim Taylor, Kar-Ming Cheung, and Dongae Seo4.1 Mission and Spacecraft Description  794.1.1 The Mission  794.1.2 The Spacecraft  824.2 Galileo Spacecraft Telecommunications System  864.2.1 Galileo Telecommunications Functions and Modes 874.2.2 Radio Frequency Subsystem  894.2.3 Modulation Demodulation Subsystem  904.2.4 S-/X-Band Antenna Subsystem  924.2.5 X- to S-Band Downconverter  934.2.6 Telecom Hardware Performance during Flight 934.2.7 Orbiter Input Power and Mass Summary 964.3 Galileo S-Band Mission  984.3.1 Overview 984.3.2 Ground System Improvements for Galileo S-Band Mission 1014.3.3 Data Compression 1034.3.4 Galileo Encoding and Feedback Concatenated Decoding 1064.4 Telecom Link Performance 1104.4.1 Design Control Tables  1114.4.2 Long-Term Planning Predicts  1124.5 Telecom Operational Scenarios 1154.5.1 Planned and Actual DSN Coverage 1154.5.2 Launch Phase  1154.5.3 Cruise Phase  1164.5.4 HGA Deployment Attempts 1184.5.5 Probe Separation, Jupiter Cruise, and Jupiter Orbit Insertion 1204.5.6 Orbital Operational Phase  1214.5.7 Solar Conjunction  1234.5.8 Galileo Europa Mission and Galileo Millennium Mission 1254.6 Probe-to-Orbiter Relay-Link Design  1254.6.1 Overview 1254.6.2 Link Requirements and Design  1264.6.3 Summary of Achieved Relay-Link Performance 1284.7 Lessons Learned  129References  131Chapter 5 Deep Space 1  135by Jim Taylor, Michela Muñoz Fernández, Ana I. Bolea-Alamañac, and Kar-Ming Cheung5.1 Mission and Spacecraft Description  1365.1.1 Technology Validation 1365.1.2 Mission Overview 1375.1.3 Telecom Subsystem Overview 1385.2 Telecom Subsystem Requirements  1395.3 Telecom System Description  1405.4 DS1 Telecom Technology  1445.4.1 Small Deep Space Transponder (SDST)  1445.4.2 Ka-Band Solid-State Power Amplifier (KaPA) 1475.4.3 Beacon Monitor Operations Experiment (BMOX) 1495.4.4 Telecom System Mass and Input Power  1535.5 Telecom Ground System Description  1535.5.1 Uplink and Downlink Carrier Operation 1545.5.2 Radiometric Data (Doppler and Ranging) 1545.5.3 Command Processing and Radiation 1575.5.4 Telemetry Demodulation, Decoding, Synchronization, and Display 1585.6 Telecom Link Performance  1615.7 Operational Scenarios  1735.7.1 Launch  1735.7.2 Safing  1745.7.3 Anchor Pass (at HGA Earth Point, High Rate) 1745.7.4 Midweek Pass (at Thrust Attitude for IPS Operation) 1755.7.5 High-Gain-Antenna Activity (January–June 2000, March 2001) 1765.7.6 Solar Conjunction  1815.7.7 Ka-Band Downlink 1835.8 Lessons Learned  1835.8.1 Telecom-Related Lessons Learned  1835.8.2 Project-Level Lessons Learned  188References  190Additional Resources  192Chapter 6 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter  193by Jim Taylor, Dennis K. Lee, and Shervin Shambayati6.1 Mission Overview  1936.2 Mission Phases and Orbit Summary  1946.2.1 Mission Objectives  1946.2.2 The MRO Spacecraft 1956.2.3 Mission Phases  1966.2.4 The MRO Orbit and Its Relay Coverage for Surface Vehicles 2046.2.5 MRO Orbit Phasing to Support Landing Vehicle EDL 2066.3 Telecommunications Subsystem Overview  2076.3.1 X-Band: Cruise and Orbital Operations  2076.3.2 UHF: Proximity Relay Communications 2196.3.3 Ka-Band: Operational Demonstration 2276.4 Ground Data System  2276.4.1 Deep Space Network  2276.4.2 Ka-Band Demonstration Requirements 2286.4.3 Ground Data Network Flow for Relay Data through Electra 2296.5 X-Band Telecom Operations  2316.5.1 Cruise Calibrations 2316.5.2 MOI Telecom Configurations 2316.5.3 Aerobraking Telecom Configurations  2326.5.4 Downlink Telemetry Modulation and Coding 2336.5.5 Coordinating MRO and MER X-Band Operations 2366.6 Ka-Band Cruise Verification  2406.6.1 Ka-Band Operations Overview 2406.6.2 Ka-Band Link Prediction and Performance during Cruise 2406.6.3 Ka-Band Communications Demonstration Plans 2426.6.4 Spacecraft X-Band and Ka-Band Constraints and Operational Factors 2436.6.5 Delta-DOR X-Band and Ka-Band Operations and Performance 2446.6.6 Planned Solar Conjunction Experiments  2456.7 Lessons Learned  2466.7.1 X-Band  2466.7.2 Ka-Band  2476.7.3 UHF  248References 248Chapter 7 Mars Exploration Rover Telecommunications  251by Jim Taylor, Andre Makovsky, Andrea Barbieri, Ramona Tung, Polly Estabrook, and A. Gail Thomas7.1 Mission and Spacecraft Summary  2527.1.1 Mission Objectives  2527.1.2 Mission Description  2537.1.3 The Spacecraft  2557.2 Telecommunications Subsystem Overview  2617.2.1 X-Band: Cruise, EDL, Surface  2617.2.2 UHF: EDL, Surface 2627.2.3 Direct-to-Earth Downlink Capability 2637.2.4 UHF Relay Capability 2637.3 Telecom Subsystem Hardware and Software  2677.3.1 X-Band Flight Subsystem Description  2677.3.2 UHF  2807.3.3 MER Telecom Hardware Mass and Power Summary 2857.4 Ground Systems 2857.4.1 Deep Space Network  2857.4.2 Entry, Descent, and Landing Communications  2917.4.3 Relay Data Flow 2967.5 Telecom Subsystem and Link Performance  2997.5.1 X-Band: Cruise, EDL, and Surface 2997.5.2 UHF: EDL and Primary Mission Surface Operations 3227.6 Lessons Learned  3367.6.1 What Could Serve as a Model for the Future  3377.6.2 What Could Be Improved 3447.7 Beyond the Extended Mission  3557.7.1 Spirit  3557.7.2 Opportunity  356References 356Chapter 8 Mars Science Laboratory  359by Andre Makovsky, Peter Ilott, and Jim Taylor8.1 Mars Science Laboratory Mission and SpacecraftSummary  3598.1.1 Mission Description  3628.1.2 Launch/Arrival Period Selection  3648.1.3 Launch Phase and Initial Acquisition  3708.1.4 Cruise Phase  3818.1.5 Approach Phase  3848.1.6 EDL Phase  3858.1.7 Flight System Description  4008.2 Telecom Subsystem Overview  4078.2.1 Telecom for Launch, Cruise, and into EDL  4128.2.2 Surface Operations  4138.2.3 X-Band Flight Subsystem Description  4158.2.4 UHF Flight Subsystem Description  4418.2.5 Terminal Descent Sensor (Landing Radar) Description 4548.2.6 MSL Telecom Hardware Mass and Power Summary 4578.3 Ground Systems EDL Operations: EDL Data Analysis (EDA) 4598.4 Telecom Subsystem Link Performance  4608.4.1 X-Band  4608.4.2 UHF  4748.5 Surface Operations (Plans)  4818.5.1 Mission Operations System Approach  4818.5.2 Initial Surface Ground Operations  4828.5.3 Tactical Operations after First 90 Sols 4848.5.4 UHF Telecom Constraints 4848.6 Surface Operations (Characterized in Flight)  4888.6.1 Mitigating the Effects of Electromagnetic Interference  4898.6.2 Data Volume Achieved with MRO and Odyssey Links 4898.6.3 Relay Link Models 491References  494Acronyms and Abbreviations 499About the Companion Website 523Index 525