Deep space communication antennas can receive faint signals from probes despite lacking sufficient transmitter power to reply directly
the verdict
INSUFFICIENT LEANING
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
4 sources for · 0 against
The retrieved literature confirms that large ground networks like the Deep Space Network receive transmissions from distant spacecraft with limited link budgets, but the sources do not explicitly establish the full claim regarding lacking sufficient transmitter power to reply directly.
Abstract The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) has recently constructed two new 34-m antennas at the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (CDSCC). These new antennas are part of the larger DAEP project to add six new 34-m antennas to the DSN, including two in Madrid, three in Canberra and one in Goldstone (California). The DAEP project included development and implementation of several new technologies for the X, and Ka (32 GHz) -band uplink and downlink electronics. The electronics upgrades were driven by several different considerations, including parts obsolescence, cost reduction, improved reliability and maintainability, and capability to meet future performance requirements. The new antennas are required to support TT&C links for all of the NASA deep-space spacecraft, as well as for several international partners. Some of these missions, such as Voyager 1 and 2, have very limited link budgets, which results in demanding requirements for system G/T performance. These antennas are also required to support radio science missions with several spacecraft, which dictate some demanding requirements for spectral purity, amplitude stability and phase stability for both the uplink and downlink electronics. After completion of these upgrades, a comprehensive campaign of tests and measurements took place to characterize the electronics and calibrate the antennas. Radiometric measurement techniques were applied to characterize, calibrate, and optimize the performance of the antenna parameters. These included optical and RF high-resolution holographic and total power radiometry techniques. The methodology and techniques utilized for the measurement and calibration of the antennas is described in this paper. Lessons learned (not all discussed in this paper) from the commissioning of the first antenna (DSS-35) were applied to the commissioning of the second antenna (DSS-36). These resulted in achieving antenna aperture efficiency of 66% (for DSS-36), at Ka-Band (32-Ghz), which is currently the highest operating frequency for these antennas. The other measurements and results described include antenna noise temperature, photogrammetry and holography alignment of antenna panels, beam-waveguide mirrors, and subreflector, antenna aperture efficiencies and G/T versus frequency, and antenna pointing models. The first antenna (DSS-35) entered into operations in October 2014 and the 2nd antenna (DSS-36) in October 2016. This paper describes the measurement techniques and results of the testing and calibration for both antennas, along with the driving requirements.
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How Does NASA Communicate with Spacecraft in Deep Space? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
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dsn-antennas
deep-space-network
How Does NASA Communicate with Spacecraft in Deep Space?
The Short Answer:
Spacecraft send information and pictures back to Earth using the Deep Space Network (DSN), a collection of big radio antennas. The antennas also receive details about where the spacecraft are and how they are doing. NASA also uses the DSN to send lists of instructions to the spacecraft.
Watch this video to learn all about the Deep Space Network, NASA’s giant radio antennas used to talk with spacecraft at the Moon and beyond.
NASA spacecraft are exploring our planet, our solar system and beyond. How do they tell us what they find out there? Spacecraft send information and pictures back to Earth using the Deep Space Network , or DSN . The DSN is a collection of big radio antennas in different parts of the world.
The DSN complex in Canberra, Australia. There are at least four antennas at each DSN site. Image credit: NASA/CSIRO/Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
There are DSN locations near Canberra, Australia; Madrid, Spain; and Goldstone, California. Those sites are almost evenly spaced around the planet. That means as the Earth turns, we never lose sight of a spacecraft.
A map of the world showing the three Deep Space Network sites. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
What do the DSN antennas do?
Spacecraft send images and other information to these big antennas. The antennas also receive details about where the spacecraft are and how they are doing. At the same time, NASA uses the DSN to send lists of instructions out to the spacecraft.
An illustration of a spacecraft sending information to and receiving information from a DSN antenna. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
How do spacecraft communicate with the DSN?
Our robotic explorers have a lot to do. The too
How Does NASA Communicate With Spacecraft? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
dsn-antennas
deep-space-network
# How Does NASA Communicate With Spacecraft?
The Short Answer:
Spacecraft send information and pictures back to Earth using the Deep Space Network (DSN), a collection of big radio antennas. The antennas also receive details about where the spacecraft are and how they are doing. NASA also uses the DSN to send lists of instructions to the spacecraft.
Watch this video to learn all about the Deep Space Network, NASA’s giant radio antennas used to talk with spacecraft at the Moon and beyond.
NASA spacecraft are exploring our planet, our solar system and beyond. How do they tell us what they find out there? Spacecraft send information and pictures back to Earth using the Deep Space Network, or DSN. The DSN is a collection of big radio antennas in different parts of the world.
The DSN complex in Canberra, Australia. There are at least four antennas at each DSN site. Image credit: NASA/CSIRO/Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
There are DSN locations near Canberra, Australia; Madrid, Spain; and Goldstone, California. Those sites are almost evenly spaced arou
# What is the lowest power signal that the DSN can detect?
Tags: spacecraft, communication-satellite, radio-communication, deep-space-network, telecommunication
- Score: 2
- Views: 674
- Answers: 1
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: SteveMcGroto (51 rep)
- Asked: 2019-03-10
- Site: space
## Question
It is said that the Deep Space Network can detect low-power signals sent from Voyager in the range of 10^-16 W. I can't seem to find any sources that indicate what the minimum power requirement of a received signal is. Also, what would be the minimum required power for the DSN to reliably interpret the signal? Does this figure differ between the 70m and 34m dishes?
## Answers
### Answer by user17550 (score: 5)
There's no minimum power for any receiver if you don't specify the type of transmission and the amount of knowledge about that existing at the receiver!
For example, a GPS receiver has way worse characteristics (for example, a 4-bit ADC) than a digital TV receiver. So, who needs higher power to work?
GPS works well below the noise floor because the data rate received is so low, and the receiver knows what to look for very exactly (mathematically: it uses correlation over a long
Everything we examined (4) — 3 independent sources
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.