Citation
Abstract
An engineering model of a Ka-band monopulse receiver and cryostat cooler has been retrofitted with an Embedded Water Vapor Radiometer (EWVR) and then tested by observing the sky alongside an independent radiometer. Results demonstrate that atmospheric water vapor—which affects radio link performance by adding noise and path delay uncertainties—can be well measured from within a standard Deep Space Network (DSN) receiver without compromising telecommunication performance. Such a capability would offer a valuable tool to correct radio path delay uncertainties in spacecraft tracking data, as well as a continuous means of monitoring the atmospheric noise temperature contributions to communication link margins.
Details
- Volume
- 42-226
- Published
- August 15, 2021
- Pages
- 1–17
- File Size
- 10.1 MB