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Improving our Hearing
1 April, 2005
As part of NASA's vision to achieve more ambitious data transfer
capabilities to support future space missions, the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) has embarked upon a program of antenna upgrades
across the Deep Space Network (DSN) to receive and transmit higher
frequencies in the Ka Band.
 Over
the last month both Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
(CDSCC) and JPL staff have worked long and hard to approach completion
of the $4M XXka upgrade project on Deep Space
Station 34.
This has involved virtually
the complete overhaul and refit of the Radio Frequency (RF) systems
on the antenna and substantial mechanical changes. With a team
of twelve CDSCC technical staff from RF and Mechanical groups,
the work has been a showpiece of coordination and efficiency
with visiting JPL staff. This has been achieved through a program
of planned project management developed in collaboration between
Raytheon Australia, JPL and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO).
 In
addition to the RF refit to Ka band, the antenna surface has
also been retuned though a program of holographic measurements.
This has enabled the dish to be characterised and corrected now
to a surface accuracy of less then 0.23mm.
Final calibration and testing
of the antenna and newly installed equipment will be completed
soon, with the antenna returning to service in mid-April.
Author:
Dr Ed Kruzins - Systems Engineering Mgr |
