Enhancing Science from Future Space Missions and Planetary Radar with the SKA

Abstract

Both Phase 1 of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA1) and the full SKA have the potential to dramatically increase the science return from future astrophysics, heliophysics, and especially planetary missions, primarily due to the greater sensitivity (A EFF / T SYS ) compared with existing or planned spacecraft tracking facilities. While this is not traditional radio astronomy, it is an opportunity for productive synergy between the large investment in the SKA and the even larger investments in space missions to maximize the total scientific value returned to society. Specific applications include short-term increases in downlink data rate during critical mission phases or spacecraft emergencies, enabling new mission concepts based on small probes with low power and small antennas, high precision angular tracking via VLBI phase referencing using in-beam calibrators, and greater range and signal/noise ratio for bi-static planetary radar observations. Future use of higher frequencies (e.g., 32 GHz and optical) for spacecraft communications will not eliminate the need for high sensitivities at lower frequencies. Many atmospheric probes and any spacecraft using low gain antennas require frequencies below a few GHz. The SKA1 baseline design covers VHF/UHF frequencies appropriate for some planetary atmospheric probes (band 1) as well as the standard 2.3 GHz deep space downlink frequency allocation (band 3). SKA1-MID also covers the most widely used deep space downlink allocation at 8.4 GHz (band 5). Even a 50% deployment of SKA1-MID will still result in a factor of several increase in sensitivity compared to the current 70-m Deep Space Network tracking antennas, along with an advantageous geographic location. The assumptions of a 10X increase in sensitivity and 20X increase in angular resolution for SKA result in a truly unique and spectacular future spacecraft tracking capability.Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array

The Next-Generation Ground-Based Planetary Radar

“…In the next decade, the intermediate frequency component of the Square Kilometre Array Phase 1 (SKA1-Mid), to be sited in South Africa, is planned to be capable of receiving at the transmit frequencies of the DSN's Canberra Complex (Jones & Lazio 2015), but there will be only limited common sky visibility. In the northern hemisphere, the proposed next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), when operational in the 2030s, would offer frequency coverage that overlaps with both the Arecibo Planetary Radar and the GSSR transmitters and considerable mutual visibility (Brozovic et al 2018).…”

Linking the Solar System and Extrasolar Planetary Systems with Radar Astronomy: Infrastructure for "Ground Truth" Comparison

“…One potential approach for obtaining larger receiving gains G RX would be bistatic operations with future radio astronomical arrays. For instance, in the southern hemisphere, the intermediate frequency component of the Square Kilometre Array Phase 1 (SKA1-Mid) is planned to be capable of operating at the transmitter frequencies of the DSN's Canberra Complex (Jones & Lazio, 2015). However, SKA1-Mid is planned to be sited in South Africa, while the DSN's Canberra Complex is in eastern Australia, limiting the amount of common sky visibility.…”

“…The SKA1-Mid will be operated by the SKA Office, and the ngVLA would be operated by the NRAO. Planetary radar observations are mentioned in the science case for both telescopes (Jones & Lazio, 2015;Brozovic et al, 2018), but the specific details of how bistatic observations might be conducted with either facility have not been considered.…”

Square Kilometre Array key science: a progressive retrospective

“…There are some models of LIGO-events that would lead to low frequency EM radiation -ideal for the very wide field of view of SKA1-LOW. Lastly, the case was made at the meeting for tracking space debris with the SKA (Jones & Lazio 2015). Reflected terrestrial interference might be used to track the debris over the whole sky using the SKA1-LOW.…”