Citation
Abstract
JPL, in conjunction with NASA Headquarters (Code SE), is conducting a feasibility study for a Deep Space Network Array. The DSN Array will have a gain-tonoise temperature ratio (G/T) that is equivalent to ten times the G/T of the 70-m antenna subnet at ∼8.4 GHz (X-band) by arraying a large number of small antennas. (At ∼32 GHz (Ka-band), the G/T is four times higher!). Similarly, the DSN Array achieves the flux density of several 20-kW X-band transmitters by arraying smaller transmitters on smaller antennas. The life-cycle cost (LCC) of the DSN Array, including development, installation, and operations, will vary depending on the antenna size. This article updates prior work by Weinreb and MacNeal on optimizing the antenna size for the downlink, and adds a similar study for the uplink antennas. The basic methodology is to compute the antenna-related LCC as a function of antenna diameter and select the antenna diameters that minimize the LCC. The antennarelated LCC is approximated by the sum of the recurring engineering (RE) cost for the antenna-related components and the operations and maintenance (O&M) costs for the antenna part of the DSN Array for 20 years, assuming that the RE is amortized over 20 years as well. To compute the full DSN Array LCC, one has to add the non-recurring engineering (NRE) and the non-antenna RE and O&M costs. The key result is that, for downlink, the selected antenna size is 12 m and, for uplink, the selected antenna size is around 34 m.
Keywords
Details
- Volume
- 42-159
- Published
- November 15, 2004
- Pages
- 1–8
- File Size
- 113.7 KB