The Deep Space Network
The functions and facilities of the Deep Space Network, its supporting research and technology and network operations are discussed.
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The functions and facilities of the Deep Space Network, its supporting research and technology and network operations are discussed.
A report is given of the Deep Space Networks progress in (1) flight project support, (2) tracking and data acquisition research and technology, (3) network engineering, (4) hardware and software implementation, and (5) operations.
The functions and facilities of the Deep Space Network are considered. Progress in flight project support, tracking and data acquisition research and technology, network engineering, hardware and software implementation, and operations is reported.
Two models are provided of the Deep Space Network (DSN) 70 m antenna performance at Ka-band (32 GHz) and, for comparison purposes, one at X-band (8.4 GHz). The baseline 70 m model represents expected X-band and Ka-band performance at the end of the currently ongoing 64 m to 70 m mechanical upgrade. The improved 70 m model represents two sets of Ka-band performance estimates (the X-band performance will not change) based on two separately developed improvement schemes: the first scheme, a mechanical approach, reduces tolerances of the panels and their settings, the reflector structure and subreflector, and the pointing and tracking system. The second, an electronic/mechanical approach, uses an array feed scheme to compensate fo lack of antenna stiffness, and improves panel settings using microwave holographic measuring techniques. Results are preliminary, due to remaining technical and cost uncertainties. However, there do not appear to be any serious difficulties in upgrading the baseline DSN 70 m antenna network to operate efficiently in an improved configuration at 32 GHz (Ka-band). This upgrade can be achieved by a conventional mechanical upgrade or by a mechanical/electronic combination. An electronically compensated array feed system is technically feasible, although it needs to be modeled and demonstrated. Similarly, the mechanical upgrade requires the development and demonstration of panel actuators, sensors, and an optical surveying system.
Preparing the Deep Space Network (DSN) stations to support spacecraft missions (referred to as pre-cal, for pre-calibration) is currently an operator and time intensive activity. Operators are responsible for sending and monitoring several hundred operator directivities, messages, and warnings. Operator directives are used to configure and calibrate the various subsystems (antenna, receiver, etc.) necessary to establish a spacecraft link. Messages and warnings are issued by the subsystems upon completion of an operation, changes of status, or an anomalous condition. Some points of pre-cal are logically parallel. Significant time savings could be realized if the existing Link Monitor and Control system (LMC) could support the operator in exploiting the parallelism inherent in pre-cal activities. Currently, operators may work on the individual subsystems in parallel, however, the burden of monitoring these parallel operations resides solely with the operator. Messages, warnings, and directives are all presented as they are received; without being correlated to the event that triggered them. Pre-cal is essentially an overhead activity. During pre-cal, no mission is supported, and no other activity can be performed using the equipment in the link. Therefore, it is highly desirable to reduce pre-cal time as much as possible. One approach to do this, as well as to increase efficiency and reduce errors, is the LMC Operator Assistant (OA). The LMC OA prototype demonstrates an architecture which can be used in concert with the existing LMC to exploit parallelism in pre-cal operations while providing the operators with a true monitoring capability, situational awareness and positive control. This paper presents an overview of the LMC OA architecture and the results from initial prototyping and test activities.
NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) is a complex, global project, in which the expertise of human operators remain crucial for its successful operation. To find ways to save costs in operations and to improve its services, a number of modernization efforts are underway in the DSN. One such effort is a research and technology development task at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that is investigating the use of complex event processing (CEP) for intelligent assessment of situations, trend analysis, and advanced automation. The technology leverages the significant business intelligence (BI) and data science advancements made in the enterprise industries over the last several years. The open source big data processing engine Apache SparkTM and the high-throughput, distributed messaging system Apache Kafka form the core of the DSN Complex Event Processing (DCEP) framework. This paper discusses the system engineering perspective of why achieving efficient, lower-cost operations in the DSN is a challenging problem, how the DCEP system handles the use cases that help realize intelligent operations, and how this solution fits into the overall model of the planned DSN Follow-the- Sun Operations (FtSO).
The primary function of the Deep Space Network (DSN) is to provide effective and reliable tracking and data acquisition for planetary and interplanetary space flight missions. This involves providing data to flight project mission operations, accepting commands from mission operations and transmitting the commands to stations and spacecraft, and providing a record of telemetry and command data to mission operations. Also included are network performance monitoring, the generation of predictions for antenna pointing and signal acquisition, network scheduling, and network validation tests. Descriptions are given of the three facilities and six systems of the DSN. Also described are interfaces, automation and standardized procedures, and discrepancy reporting. It is pointed out that the greatest challenge facing the DSN is the implementation of NASA's Network Consolidation Program, which is scheduled to be completed in 1986. The objectives of this program are enumerated.
The use of radial basis function networks for fine pointing NASA's 70-meter deep space network antennas is described and evaluated.
The GCF upgrade task for NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) is described. The DSN is a multimission telecommunications and radiometric data facility used to support space science, exploration, and applications by communicating with spacecraft and observing other radio sources. The GCF upgrade task is a six-year project designed to increase the data rate throughout capacity from 280 kbps to 2.272 Mbps from each tracking area to JPL, and 224 kbps from JPL to each tracking area. This would be accomplished by using a selective automatic repeat request error correction scheme in all throughput data.
The facilities, functions, and operations capabilities of the Deep Space Network are summarized. Network activities in support of planned future as well as ongoing deep space missions are described as are activities in support of radio astronomy experiments and the Astronomical Radio Interferometric Earth Surveying (ARIES) Network.
This paper discusses the methodology used to identify mission drivers on the future architecture for the Deep Space Network.
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The controller development and the tracking performance evaluation for NASA's Deep Space Network antenna are presented. A trajectory preprocessor, LQG (Linear Quadratic Gaussian) controller, feedforward controller, and their combination are designed, built, analyzed, and tested.
Deep Space Network telecommunication and ground support equipment for planetary and interplanetary flight projects
Deep Space Network mission support activities, telemetry, and data systems for Pioneer, Helios, Viking, and Mars 71 projects