The Sardinia Space Communication Asset: Performance of the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna X-Band Downlink Capability

Abstract

The Sardinia deep space antenna (SDSA), managed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) has started its operations in 2017 aiming to provide tracking and communication services for deep space, near earth, and lunar missions, and to support new and challenging radio science experiments. The SDSA shares with the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) a part of the system and infrastructure, but has its own specific equipment and a dedicated control center. The current SDSA capabilities involve the X-band (8.4 GHz -8.5 GHz) reception of telemetry from deep space probes within interplanetary missions. In this work we describe the development and performance of the X-band receiving system. It was designed and assembled with the cooperation of both the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Specifically, NASA-JPL provided the X-band feed and the cryogenic receiver installed in a suitable focus of the SRT devoted to space applications, and ESA provided the intermediate frequency modem system (IFMS) for signal processing. The coupling of the X-band feed with the parabolic reflector of the SRT and the radiating features of the SDSA have been evaluated with simulations performed using CST Studio Suite and GRASP by Ticra. The telecommunication performance of the system has been assessed by measurements and experiments showing a good agreement between estimates and simulations.

A High-Sensitivity Cryogenic Radio Receiver: Design, Performance and Polarization Analysis

“…A comparison of the G/T sys with some antennas in K-Band with the proposed system is given in TABLE III 23,24 . Also, FIG.…”

Toward a European Facility for Ground-Based Radar Observations of Near-Earth Objects

“…Finally, the SRT, located in the southern part of the island of Sardinia (Italy), is the largest Italian parabolic dish with a 64 m diameter and one of the most-advanced radio telescopes in the world. The SRT is co-managed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), named the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna (SDSA) due its activities, and is equipped with an X-band receiver for deep space and Near-Earth activities [22]. In 2024, all three Italian radio telescopes will be equipped with new tri-band K-Q-W receivers capable of acquiring simultaneously the frequency bands 18-26, 33-50, and 80-116 GHz [23].…”

A New Monitor and Control Power Supply PCB for Biasing LNAs of Large Radio Telescopes Receivers

“…In this paper, we present the design, development, and testing of a new power supply PCB with remote control capabilities, named GAIA, specifically developed to bias the LNAs of the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) [5], [6], [7] and the Sardinia Deep Space Antenna (SDSA) [8] receivers.…”