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Pathfinder - A technique for improving the targeting accuracy of GiottoA 'pathfinder' plan to improve Halley's Comet targeting accuracy of ESA's Giotto spacecraft is proposed, by which optical data and orbit information from Soviet VEGA spacecraft are used to produce an updated ephemeris for Halley's Comet. Two versions of the plan are described and the increased targeting accuracy is determined through a linear covariance analysis. In both versions of the plan, NASA Deep Space Net VLBI measurements of VEGA position are exchanged for information from VEGA about its optical pointing angle and Doppler and ranging measurements which are then transmitted to Giotto. In the covariance analysis of targeting accuracy, it is found that by using pathfinder the error in Giotto-Halley targeting can be reduced from 500 to within 100 km. It is predicted that pathfinder will thus substantially improve the amount of data that Giotto will gather from its fly-by of Halley's Comet March 14, 1986.
Document ID
19840047807
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Campbell, J. K.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ellis, J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Jordan, J. F.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1984
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking
Report/Patent Number
AAS PAPER 83-417
Accession Number
84A30594
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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