Citation
Abstract
The large antennas of the DSN support reception of low-power telemetry signals from spacecraft (S/C), transmission of high power commands to S/C, and navigation of S/C by precision radio metric data. The specification and design of the antennas have been driven by the requirement to support those functions with high reliability. The number of antennas required in the DSN is determined by the number of S/C to be supported and their level of activity. A given size antenna aperture can be realized with a single element or by arraying smaller elements with the same total area. That approach can be applied to meeting many DSN requirements. There is a cost vs capability trade-off in arrayed vs single element designs. The operating microwave frequency is an important parameter for the antenna. Some of the communications and radio metric data functions are much improved at higher frequencies, e.g., X- vs S-Band. Current technology allows arraying for reception by antennas that are far apart. Thus, for example, major radio astronomy antennas can be arrayed with DSN antennas to increase reception capability during important scientific events, eg., Voyager encounters with Uranus and Neptune. This article examines the specification, design, and development of DSN antennas in the context of the above considerations.
Details
- Volume
- 42-76
- Published
- February 15, 1984
- Pages
- 161–169
- File Size
- 730.0 KB