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High Capacity Communications From Martian Distances: Spacecraft Link Design Analysis - Part 1High capacity space communications has been a desire for Human Exploration and Science missions. Current Mars missions operate at data rates of 120 kbps for telemetry downlink and it is desirable to study high rate communication links in the range of 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps data rates from Martian distances. This paper will present some assumed scenarios along with link design assumptions and link analysis for high capacity communications from Mars. The paper will focus on RF subsystems namely antenna and power for the downlink communication from a relay orbiter at Mars. The relay orbiter will communicate with the low orbit spacecrafts at Mars or any Martian surface elements such as robots, and relay the data back to the ground networks on Earth. The study will dive into the spacecraft downlink system design and communication link analysis between the relay orbiter and ground network on Earth for data rates ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps based on the assumed scenarios and link assumptions. With high rate links at larger distances, there will be a significant impact on the antenna and power requirements and the link design will make an attempt to minimize the mass of the RF subsystem on the spacecraft. The results of this study will be presented for three data rates 1 Gbps, 500 Mbps and 100 Mbps at maximum Mars to Earth distance of 2.67AU. The design will use a Ka-band downlink with 90% link availability, along with various ground network G/T assumptions and possible bandwidth efficient modulations. The paper will conclude with what types of high rate communication links are feasible from Martian distances and also identify a range of requirements for antenna and power technologies for these high capacity communications from Mars.
Document ID
20060051755
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Vyas, Hemali N.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Schuchman, Leonard
(SATEL United States)
Orr, Richard
(SATEL United States)
Williams, Wallace Dan
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Collins, Michael
(ASRC Services United States)
Noreen, Gary
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2006
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking
Meeting Information
Meeting: 12TH Ka and Broadband Communications Conference
Location: Naples
Country: Italy
Start Date: September 27, 2006
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Ka-Band communications
high rate communications
communication from Mars

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