Proposed Solar Probe telecommunications system conceptA proposed telecommunications system concept for NASA's Solar Probe mission is described. Key system requirements include 70 kbps data rate at perihelion and operation at X-band (uplink/downlink) and Ka-band (downlink). A design control table is presented to demonstrate design compliance with telecommunication needs. The Ka-band feed is to be a hexagonal array of 37 active elements, each containing 1/4W HEMT amplifiers. The array is located at the Cassegrain point of a 0.75-m reflector. When compared to the TWTA-based system, the Ka-band active array feed provides advantages of reduced mass, increased dc power efficiency, enhanced reliability, graceful degradation, and reduced volume requirements.
Document ID
19920047004
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kellogg, K. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Devereaux, A. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Vacchione, J. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kapoor, V. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Crist, R. (JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking