The NASA Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe mission will investigate the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium. This mission is currently in Phase C, scheduled for launch in 2025. The spacecraft will be sun-pointed and spin-stabilized in orbit about the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point, with regular contacts with Earth via the NASA Deep Space Network and supplementary ground station support for early operations through the Swedish Space Corporation ground network. The RF communications subsystem utilizes both high-heritage components as well as newly matured technology to provide a simple, streamlined design with high link margins. The communications system includes one medium-gain antenna that will be used for the majority of the mission and can be selected singularly or in conjunction with a low-gain antenna. An 8-Watt solid state power amplifier has been developed for this mission to provide science and spacecraft housekeeping data during periodic ground contacts, as well as continuous broadcast of space weather data for receipt by participating space weather ground stations. An X-band Frontier Radio is used, largely unchanged from the previous Parker Solar Probe and Emirates Mars Mission designs, to provide a cost-effective, high-heritage radio. This system exceeds minimum data rate requirements, enables commanding, telemetry, and ranging during all maneuvers, and supports worst-case emergency operations and post-separation communications. This paper will discuss the design of the RF communications system for the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe mission, requirements that drove that design, and the overall subsystem test plan.
RF Communications Subsystem for the NASA Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe Mission
2023-03-04
2262495 byte
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
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