document title / titre du document TRP W ORK PLAN ... - emits - ESA

TRP Work Plan 2005-2007
Description of Activities
TEC-SB/7935/dc
12/Feb/09
TRP Reference: T606-02GS
Title:
Multipurpose Highly Stable System for Ground Station Characterisation
There are two main needs for the proposed activity:
precise time transfer among Deep Space Ground Stations;
ability to measure the Allan deviation of large reflector antennas, such as the ones used to support Deep Space missions.
Tracking requirements for future Deep Space missions demand accuracies that cannot be achieved with current tracking
techniques. Planning ahead for future tracking methods that can meet these requirements, Delta Differential One-Way Range
(DDOR) is included in the TT&C roadmap as a technique to be used in the future for more accurate tracking measurements.
DDOR is a Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) technique that makes use of two or more distant Deep Space Stations
in order to perform accurate spacecraft's angular position measurements. This technique requires very precise station
synchronisation, which could be achieved by means of accurate time transfer. Additionally, radio science requirements of
planetary missions call for extreme Allan deviation performances for Ground Stations. Deep Space missions time scales
require the characterisation of the whole Ground Station and specifically of large mechanical structures in terms of electrical
phase stability, which turns into tracking accuracy. At present there are no means to measure the contribution of the
mechanical part of the antenna to the overall frequency stability of the ground station. In this context, the goal of this activity is
to develop a system able to synchronize frequency standards from distant Deep Space antennas (like New Norcia and
Cebreros) for DDOR measurements. This could be done by implementing a Ku-band link between the stations involved in the
measurement. A small 3m (TBC) antenna transmitting/receiving in Ku-Band, together with a highly stable two-way time
transfer processor and a highly stable link are required for this task. This system can also be used to characterise the stability
of the antenna mechanics. An additional highly stable phase comparator module is needed for this application.
Deliverables:
Breadboarded system for evaluation, final report, and test reports.
Current TRL:
Target TRL:
Application Need/Date: (Continuation in the 2008
TRL2
budget of ESA Investment
Plan) TRL5 by 2012
Bepi-Colombo; any mission using the
Application/Mission: DSAs (e.g. Rosetta, MEX and VEX, Contract Duration: 18 months
Herschel-planck, GAIA, SOLO, etc.)
SW Clause : - Dossier0 Ref.: T-1108
Consistency with Harmonisation
Roadmap and Conclusions:
TRP Reference: T606-06GS
Title:
Experimental InP Ka band cryocooled LNAs
This study shall provide technological advancement in manufacturing Ka-band cryo Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), as required
for ESA missions. The study will be composed of two main tasks. The first task is the development and production of InP (or
GaAs with high In content) devices (TRTs or MMICs) suitable for low noise cryogenic applications. The second task is the
development and production of cryogenic LNAs suitable to work in ESA Deep Space antennae. More detailed, the work to be
performed is to derive suitable specifications for transistor manufacturers and to breadboard o cryo Ka-band LNA with the
developed devices (either MMICs or TRTs) so that it can be tested the RF performance at cryo and ambient temperature.
Deliverables:
Breadboard of the designed LNA and documentation and recommendations for the production of the serial units.
Current TRL: TRL3 Target TRL: TRL5 Application Need/Date: TRL5 by 2009
Application/Mission: Deep Space Network Contract Duration: 24 months
SW Clause : - Dossier0 Ref.: T-7656
Consistency with Harmonisation
Roadmap and Conclusions:
Not directly linked to harmonised technology.
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