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Utilization of the Deep Space Atomic Clock for Europa Gravitational Tide RecoveryEstimation of Europa's gravitational tide can provide strong evidence of the existence of a subsurface liquid ocean. Due to limited close approach tracking data, a Europa flyby mission suffers strong coupling between the gravity solution quality and tracking data quantity and quality. This work explores utilizing Low Gain Antennas with the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) to provide abundant high accuracy uplink-only radiometric tracking data. DSAC's performance, expected to exhibit an Allan Deviation of less than 3e-15 at one day, provides long-term stability and accuracy on par with the Deep Space Network ground clocks, enabling one-way radiometric tracking data with accuracy equivalent to that of its two-way counterpart. The feasibility of uplink-only Doppler tracking via the coupling of LGAs and DSAC and the expected Doppler data quality are presented. Violations of the Kalman filter's linearization assumptions when state perturbations are included in the flyby analysis results in poor determination of the Europa gravitational tide parameters. B-plane targeting constraints are statistically determined, and a solution to the linearization issues via pre-flyby approach orbit determination is proposed and demonstrated.
Document ID
20160009635
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Seubert, Jill
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ely, Todd
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 1, 2016
Publication Date
January 11, 2015
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
AAS-15-244
Meeting Information
Meeting: AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Country: United States
Start Date: January 11, 2015
End Date: January 15, 2015
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Astronautical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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