Tracking of Mars Express and Venus Express spacecraft with VLBI radio telescopes

Details Tracking of Mars Express and Venus Express spacecraft with VLBI radio telescopes Tracking of Mars Express and Venus Express spacecraft with VLBI radio telescopes

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufm.p51d1479m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #P51D-1479

Physics

[2164] Interplanetary Physics / Solar Wind Plasma, [6230] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Martian Satellites, [6295] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Venus

Scientific paper

The ESA Mars Express and Venus Express spacecraft (S/C) have been observed for the last two years with the European VLBI radio telescopes of Metsähovi (FI), Wettzell (GE), Yebes (SP), Medicina, Matera, Noto (IT), Puschino (RU) and Onsala (SW). The campaign is in the framework of the assessment study and preparation of the European VLBI Network to the upcoming ESA and other deep space missions. It also offers new opportunities for applications of radio astronomy techniques to planetary science, geophysics and geodesy. Observations are carried out either in single- or multi-dish modes when S/C is locked to the ESA’s ESTRACK ground stations (Cebreros or New Nortia) observing the two way link. Data are recorded locally at the stations using standard VLBI equipment and transferred to the Metsähovi for processing. Further on, the data are transferred from Metsähovi to Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe for further post-analysis. High dynamic range of the S/C signal detections allowed us to determine the apparent topocentric frequency of the S/C carrier line and accompanying ranging tones down to milli-Hz spectral accuracy and to extract the phase of the S/C signal carrier line. With multi-station observations, the respective phases can be calibrated on the per-baseline basis using VLBI phase referencing technique and observations of background quasars close to S/C in their celestial position using far-field VLBI delay model for quasars and near-field model for S/C. The post-analysis of the S/C tracking data enables us to study several parameters of the S/C signals. Of these, the phase fluctuations of the signal can be used for characterization of the interplanetary plasma density fluctuations along the signal propagation line at different spatial and temporal scales and different solar elongations. These fluctuations are well represented by a near-Kolmogorov spectrum. Multi-station observations can distinguish the contributions of propagation effects in the plasma along the up- and down-link paths as seen from different VLBI stations through different Fresnel channels. We also demonstrated high accuracy S/C Doppler tracking with 3 EVN stations (Metsähovi, Wettzell and Yebes) during the MEX-Phobos flyby, which occurred on 2010 march 03. These multi-station observing sessions could help to better determine the Phobos gravity field and together with phase referencing provide additional geometrical constrains on the orbiter/Phobos trajectories. VEX S/C signal detection with four VLBI antennae (23/08/2010).

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