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Delta-DOR Observations Using VLBI Antennas

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Abstract

Delta-DOR (differential one-way ranging) is a technique which addresses the problem of orbit determination of a target deep-space spacecraft, in particular by determining its angular position in the sky. This can be achieved by means of analyzing both quasar signals, using this radio source as a calibrator, and a proper signal transmitted by the target spacecraft. These signals should be received by two or more stations, possibly set at a large distance from each other. Nowadays, European Space Agency (ESA) can count only on a few stations, more precisely the largest ones, since large signal-to-noise ratios are required to acquire the faint transmissions involved. This study has the aim to exploit a different set of stations, the ones belonging to the very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) network, to perform Delta-DOR measurements. VLBI antennas have in general the right hardware requirements but lack a proper recording output; therefore, a software translation of the recorded signal is required. As a proof-of-concept of the proposed technique, a shadow pass, involving an Italian VLBI station, of a standard ESA Delta-DOR session has been scheduled. The recorded data were successfully translated and analyzed by means of the ESA’s software correlator, showing the feasibility of this innovative procedure.

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Notes

  1. Information about the schedule standards may be depicted from the SCHED User Manual, available at the following web page, http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/software/sched/index.html.

  2. See the official JPL Horizons web page, https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi.

  3. Quasar ID (IAU): J1726-2258; coordinates: R.A. = 17h26’58.9045”, DEC. = -22d58’01.548” (J2000), see [27].

  4. Quasar ID (IAU): J2253+1608 (also known as 3c454.3); coordinates: R.A. = 22h53’57.747”, DEC. = 16d08’53.560” (J2000), see [27].

  5. Quasar ID (IAU): J0403+2600; coordinates: R.A. = 04h03’05.5860”, DEC = 26d00’01.502” (J2000), see [27].

Abbreviations

\(\alpha\) :

Angle between spacecraft and quasar as seen from a receiving station

B :

Baseline, the straight line which connects two receiving stations

c :

Speed of light

\(f_j\) :

Frequency of the jth DOR tone

f(t), g(t):

Generic recorded signals

\(k_j\) :

Non-dimensional integer value for the jth DOR tone

\(\varDelta \phi\) :

Differential phase

\(\varDelta \rho\) :

Differential ranging

\(\rho , {\dot{\rho }}\) :

Range and range rate of the spacecraft with respect to a receiving station

\({\mathcal {R}}_{f,g}\) :

Discrete cross correlation between functions f(t) and g(t)

\(\tau\) :

Time delay between the arrival of the same signal at the receiving stations

\(\theta\) :

Angular position in the sky of the spacecraft with respect to the baseline

\(t_i\) :

Time of arrival of a signal at a generic ith station

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Acknowledgements

Observations were carried out with the Italian Medicina radio telescope, managed by INAF—National Institute for Astrophysics. I acknowledge the local staff for the effective and participated support provided to the experiments. I want to thank ESA—European Space Agency for the precious support, in particular provided by Marco Menapace and Mattia Mercolino, together with the fundamental help provided by Alessandro Ardito, ARPSOFT. I want also to thank Giuseppe Maccaferri, Roberto Orosei, INAF, and my advisors Paolo Tortora and Marco Zannoni from the University of Bologna.

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  1. Department of industrial engineering, University of Bologna, Via Fontanelle 40, 47121, Forlì, FC, Italy

    Francesco Fiori

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Fiori, F. Delta-DOR Observations Using VLBI Antennas. Aerotec. Missili Spaz. 98, 175–185 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42496-019-00023-4

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