Citation
Abstract
Successful Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations at 2.3 GHz have been made using an antenna aboard an earth-orbiting spacecraft as one of the receiving telescopes. These observations employed the first deployed satellite (TDRSE-E for East) of the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). Fringes were found for 3 radio sources on baselines between TDRSE and telescopes in Australia and Japan. This article describes the purpose of the experiment and the characteristics of the spacecraft that are related to the VLBI observations. It goes on to explore the technical obstacles to maintaining phase coherence between the orbiting antenna and the ground stations, as well as the calibration schemes for the communications link between TDRSE and its ground station at White Sands, New Mexico. System coherence results and scientific results for the radio source observations are presented, Using all available calibrations, a coherence of 84% over 700 seconds was achieved for baselines to the orbiting telescope.
Details
- Volume
- 42-88
- Published
- February 15, 1987
- Pages
- 1–10
- File Size
- 856.1 KB