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Simultaneous Ka-Band Site Characterization: Goldstone, CA, White Sands, NM, and Guam, USATo statistically characterize atmospheric effects on Ka-band links at NASA operational sites, NASA has constructed site test interferometers (STI s) which directly measure the tropospheric phase stability and rain attenuation. These instruments observe an unmodulated beacon signal broadcast from a geostationary satellite (e.g., Anik F2) and measure the phase difference between the signals received by the two antennas and its signal attenuation. Three STI s have been deployed so far: the first one at the NASA Deep Space Network Tracking Complex in Goldstone, California (May 2007); the second at the NASA White Sands Complex, in Las Cruses, New Mexico (February 2009); and the third at the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Remote Ground Terminal (GRGT) complex in Guam (May 2010). Two station-years of simultaneous atmospheric phase fluctuation data have been collected at Goldstone and White Sands, while one year of data has been collected in Guam. With identical instruments operating simultaneously, we can directly compare the phase stability and rain attenuation at the three sites. Phase stability is analyzed statistically in terms of the root-mean-square (rms) of the tropospheric induced time delay fluctuations over 10 minute blocks. For two years, the time delay fluctuations at the DSN site in Goldstone, CA, have been better than 2.5 picoseconds (ps) for 90% of the time (with reference to zenith), meanwhile at the White Sands, New Mexico site, the time delay fluctuations have been better than 2.2 ps with reference to zenith) for 90% of time. For Guam, the time delay fluctuations have been better than 12 ps (reference to zenith) at 90% of the time, the higher fluctuations are as expected from a high humidity tropical rain zone. This type of data analysis, as well as many other site quality characteristics (e.g., rain attenuation, infrastructure, etc.) will be used to determine the suitability of all the sites for NASA s future communication services at Ka-band.
Document ID
20120000729
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Acosta, Roberto (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Morse, Jacquelynne (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Zemba, Michael (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Nessel, James (NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Morabito, David (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Caroglanian, Armen (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
October 3, 2011
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking
Report/Patent Number
E-18056
Meeting Information
Meeting: 17th Ka and Broadband Communications Conference
Location: Palermo
Country: Italy
Start Date: October 3, 2011
End Date: October 5, 2011
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 439432,04,12,01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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