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High-Power Radar Sounders for the Investigation of Jupiter Icy MoonsThe high power and high data rate capability made available by a Prometheus class spacecraft could significantly enhance our ability to probe the subsurface of the planets/moons and asteroid/comets. The main technology development driver for our radar is the proposed Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (or JIMO) mission due to its harsh radiation environment. We plan to develop a dual-band radar at 5 and 50 MHz in response to the two major science requirements identified by the JIMO Science Definition Team: studying the near subsurface (less than 2 km) at high resolution and detection of the ice/ocean interface for Europa (depth up to 30 km). The 50-MHz band is necessary to provide high spatial resolution (footprint and depth) as required by the JIMO mission science requirements as currently defined. Our preliminary assessment indicates that the 50-MHz system is not required to be as high-power as the 5-MHz system since it will be more limited by the surface clutter than the Jupiter or galactic background noise. The low frequency band (e.g. 5 MHz), which is the focus of this effort, would be necessary to mitigate the performance risks posed by the unknown subsurface structure both in terms of unknown attenuation due to volumetric scattering and also the detection of the interface through the attenuative transition region at the ice/ocean interface. Additionally, the 5-MHz band is less affected by the surface roughness that can cause loss of coherence and clutter noise. However, since the Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) of the 5-MHz radar band is reduced due to Jupiter noise when operating in the Jupiter side of the moon, it is necessary to increase the radiated power. Our challenge is to design a high-power HF radar that can hnction in Jupiter's high radiation environment, yet be able to fit into spacecraft resource constraints such as mass and thermal limits. Our effort to develop the JIMO radar sounder will rely on our team's experience with planetary radar sounder design gained during our participation in the MARSIS radar sounder implementation.
Document ID
20050161990
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Safaeinili, A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ostro, S.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Rodriquez, E.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Blankenship, D.
(Texas Univ. Austin, TX, United States)
Kurth, W.
(Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA, United States)
Kirchner, D.
(Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
February 10, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Workshop on Radar Investigations of Planetary and Terrestrial Environments
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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