Planetary radio interferometry and Doppler experiment as an operational component of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission

Journal Article (2024)
Author(s)

V. Pallichadath (TU Delft - Planetary Exploration)

Bert L A Vermeersen (TU Delft - Physical and Space Geodesy, TU Delft - Planetary Exploration)

Dominic DIrkx (TU Delft - Astrodynamics & Space Missions)

L. Gurvits (TU Delft - Astrodynamics & Space Missions)

Sam Fayolle (TU Delft - Astrodynamics & Space Missions)

Research Group
Planetary Exploration
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12567-024-00563-x
More Info
expand_more
Publication Year
2024
Language
English
Research Group
Planetary Exploration
Issue number
3
Volume number
17
Pages (from-to)
339-359
Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Abstract

We present an overview of the operations and engineering interface for Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) radio astronomy observations as a scientific component of the ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, as well as other prospective planetary and space science missions. The article discusses advanced scheduling and planning methods that make it possible to create observing schedules for observations of specific spacecraft in concurrence with observations of natural radio sources. In order to put this into practice and find suitable natural background calibrator sources for PRIDE of JUICE mission, we developed planning and scheduling software. The conventional scheduling software for natural celestial radio sources is not set up to include spacecraft as observation targets in the necessary control files. Therefore, difficulties already arise during observation planning. We report on the development of new and the adaptation of existing routines used in astrophysical and geodetic VLBI for satellite scheduling and planning. The analysis of the PRIDE science observations led to improved observational planning, and the mission’s scheduling methodologies were studied using a systems engineering approach. In addition, we highlighted the new procedures, like finding charts for selecting calibrator radio sources over a range of frequency bands and the outcomes of those strategies for science operation planning. A simulation of the flyby of Venus during the cruise phase of the JUICE spacecraft, based on the Tudat software, is also presented, resulting in a promising opportunity to test PRIDE techniques and evaluate the improvements that PRIDE observables can make to natural bodies’ ephemerides. The first K
a-band (32 GHz) observations of the ESA’s BepiColombo by a radio telescope in the VLBI network, which employs a similar radio communications system as JUICE, were also demonstrated as a test case. The primary objective of these activities is to serve as a practice run for the upcoming operational PRIDE JUICE operations. We showcase the capabilities of the planning and scheduling software for other space missions.

Files

S12567-024-00563-x.pdf
(pdf | 4.14 Mb)
License info not available