Mars Express Bistatic Radar Experiment Operations Plan and Report 10 August 2006 Summary ======= DSN Antenna: 43 Pass: 1167 Orbit: 3320 Orbit Start Time: 2006-08-10T03:59:33 HGA Pointing: Specular Start Phoenix B End -------- ---------- -------- Specular Condition (ERT): 06:32:00 07:17:00 07:32:00 Target Latitude (deg N): 35.11 69.19 73.76 Longitude (deg E): 134.72 134.70 214.76 Rp (km): 3394. 3394. 3394. Incidence/Reflection Angle (deg): 75.57 62.57 48.51 Slant Range (km): 7564. 2672. 872. Slew Angle (deg): 28.86 54.86 82.98 Doppler (carrier, fd; Hz): 47385 70418 55678 Doppler (echo, fr; Hz): 43642 75358 72797 Doppler Difference (fdd; Hz): 3744 -4940 -17119 Earth-Mars Distance (m): 3.783E+11 3.783E+11 3.783E+11 Experiment Set Up ================= This experiment was conducted using Canberra's DSS 43. Danny Kahan, Aseel Anabtawi, Sami Asmar, and Dick Simpson were in the Radio Science Support Area at JPL; Jesse Velasco was in the NOPE area through the pre-cal. Performance Problems and Notes ============================== S-LCP and S-RCP inputs to the RSR's were in their normal configuration. For the past several months, they have usually been swapped; but for the first time in many months they came up correct. During the pre-cal the S-LCP and X-LCP noise diodes came on while their respective DTT's were being configured. This meant they were on for about 10 minutes rather than the expected 5. X-Band echoes were seen throughout the experiment with RCP being the stronger except for the last 10 minutes. The X-Band carrier (direct) signal was intermittent, usually stronger on RCP when present. No S-Band signals were seen. Data Acquisition ================ RSRs were configured as in Table 1. Note that the S-Band polarizations are swapped compared with the nominal configuration; but this has been the case for several months at DSS 43. Table 1 ---------------------------------------------------- RSR Channel Mode ATT FGAIN Operator dB ----- ------- ---- ---- ----- ---------------------- RSR1A S-LCP 1-W auto 60 Kahan RSR1B X-LCP 1-W auto 60 Kahan RSR2A S-RCP 1-W auto 60 Kahan RSR2B X-RCP 1-W auto 60 Kahan RSR subchannels (SCHAN) were defined as follows: Table 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subchannel Sample Rate Comments ---------- ----------- --------------------------------------------- 1 2 ksps backup (not recorded) 2 8 ksps backup (not recorded) 3 25 ksps Primary recording bandwidth 4 100 ksps Backup recording Table 3 lists ADC amplitude levels read from RSR displays during the experiment. Times are in UTC and should be considered approximate. "Steps" are as defined in the briefing message. RSR ATT settings are in units proportional to dB. Acronyms and abbreviations are explained after Table 3. Table 3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activity Time Step # S-LCP X-LCP S-RCP X-RCP Notes / Comments RSR1A RSR1B RSR2A RSR2B -------- ----- --------- ----- ----- ----- ----- ------------------------ 2006/175 -------- Pre-Cal 03:48 1 -9.7 -9.8 -9.9 -9.6 All to sky (dB) 15.0 13.5 10.5 12.5 ATT settings 03:51 2 -9.7 -0.1 -10.0 0.0 X-Band to AMB 03:53 3 -0.3 -0.2 -10.0 0.1 S-RCP to AMB 03:54 4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.2 0.0 S-LCP to AMB 03:55 AMB load physical temps: S1=21.38 S2=22.56 X1=21.31 Weather conditions: T=11.6C H=41.1 percent sky = light clouds 03:56 -9.8 -9.8 -10.1 -9.6 ADC amp after AUTO reset 26.5 25.5 22.5 25.0 ATT settings 04:00:01 Begin 25 kHz recording 04:02 5 -9.8 -9.8 -10.0 -9.6 Configure DTT's 04:05 6 -9.8 -9.9 -10.1 -8.9 X-RCP ND ON 04:10 7 -9.7 -21.9 -10.0 -15.8 X-Band to sky 04:15 8 -9.9 -17.0 -10.1 -22.0 X-RCP ND OFF; XL ND ON? 04:20 9 -9.8 -17.1 -10.0 -22.1 XL ND ON (again?) 04:25 10 -9.7 -9.3 -10.0 -9.7 X-Band to AMB 04:26 AMB physical temps: S1=21.69 S2=22.62 X1=21.25 04:30 11 -9.8 -10.0 -10.0 -9.7 X-LCP ND OFF 04:35 12 -9.8 -22.1 -10.0 -22.1 X-Band to sky 04:40 13 -9.8 -22.1 -9.8 -22.1 S-RCP ND ON 04:45 14 -9.8 -22.1 -19.5 -22.1 S-RCP to sky 04:50 15 -9.5 -22.1 -22.0 -22.1 S-RCP ND OFF; SL ND ON? 04:55 16 -9.6 -22.0 -21.8 -22.0 S-LCP ND ON (again?) 05:00 17 -18.6 -22.1 -22.0 -22.0 S-LCP to sky 05:05 18 -21.1 -22.1 -22.0 -22.1 S-LCP ND OFF 05:10 Stop recording AMB physical temps: S1=21.88 S2=22.62 X1=20.81 05:30 BOT X-Band in lock MEX MOCC requests TLM 05:32 18.3 32.4 42.2 57.3 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) 05:38 -987 -1623 Carrier offset (Hz) 05:46 -20.9 -21.7 -21.7 -20.6 TLM OFF (ADC amp, dB) -- 40.0 42.0 64.5 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) -1056 -1873 Carrier offset (Hz) 05:49 Start 25 kHz recording 06:01 -20.9 -21.6 -21.5 -20.6 ADC amplitude (dB) -- 40.2 42.0 64.6 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) -1135 -2164 Carrier offset (Hz) 06:13 -20.8 -21.4 -21.5 -20.7 ADC amplitude (dB) -- 40.6 41.8 64.5 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) -1210 -2439 Carrier offset (Hz) 06:15 Begin Slew #1 06:24 -20.7 -21.4 -21.5 -20.7 ADC amp (dB) -- 29.1 23.1 32.0 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) MiniCal1 06:25 1 -20.7 -21.3 -21.5 -15.2 XR ND ON 06:28 2 -20.6 -21.4 -19.4 -20.7 XR ND OFF; SR ND ON 06:31 3 -20.7 -17.0 -21.5 -20.6 SR ND OFF; XL ND ON 06:34 4 -18.5 -21.3 -21.5 -20.6 XL ND OFF; SL ND ON 06:37 5 -20.7 -21.2 -21.4 -20.6 SL ND OFF BSR 06:41 X-RCP echo at -7500 Hz 06:43 X-LCP echo at -7000 Hz 06:44 Begin 100 kHz recording 06:45 End Slew #2; Begin BSR 06:53 20.0 29.0 Echo to noise (dB/Hz) -6500 Echo offset (Hz) 07:15 5000 5000 X-Band FRO (Hz) 21.0 Echo to nolise (dB/Hz) -3000 Echo offset (Hz) 07:20 20.0 20.0 Echoes ~equal (dB/Hz) 0 0 Echoes at center 07:25 12000 12000 X-Band FRO (Hz) 07:26 27.0 29.0 Echo to noise (dB/Hz) -2000 -2000 Echo offsedt (Hz) 07:29 X-LCP now dominant 07:31 23.0 Echo to noise (dB/Hz) 07:32 End 100 kHz recording 07:33 0 0 X-Band FRO 07:34 -20.3 -20.8 -21.0 -20.2 ADC amp (dB) MiniCal2 07:35 1 -20.3 -20.7 -20.9 -15.1 XR ND ON 07:38 2 -20.4 -20.8 -19.0 -19.9 XR ND OFF; SR ND ON 07:41 3 -20.2 -16.7 -20.7 -20.0 SR ND OFF; XL ND ON 07:44 4 -18.0 -20.5 -20.9 -19.8 XL ND OFF; SL ND ON 07:47 5 -20.2 -20.5 -20.8 -19.8 SL ND OFF 07:53 13.0 17.0 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) -3324 Carrier offset (Hz) 08:09 -19.8 -20.2 -20.4 -19.4 ADC amplitude (dB) -- 23.0 18.5 31.3 Carrier to noise (dB/Hz) -1443 -3300 Carrier offset 08:16 -- 39.2 40.5 62.5 Carrier to Noise (dB/Hz) Post-Cal 08:25 EOT DSS 43 to zenith 08:35 1 -9.8 -10.2 -10.2 -9.7 All to AMB AMB phys temps: S1=20.56 S2=21.31 X1=19.50 08:38 2 -9.9 -10.1 -10.1 -8.8 XR ND ON 08:41 3 -9.8 -10.1 -9.9 -9.8 XR ND OFF; SR ND ON 08:44 4 -9.8 -9.8 -10.0 -9.7 SR ND OFF; XL ND ON 08:47 5 -9.5 -10.2 -10.2 -9.7 XL ND OFF; SL ND ON 08:50 6 -18.5 -22.0 -22.1 -22.0 All to sky 08:53 7 -21.2 -17.2 -21.9 -22.1 SL ND OFF; XL ND ON 08:56 8 -21.1 -22.2 -19.5 -22.1 XL ND OFF; SR ND ON 08:59 9 -21.1 -22.1 -21.8 -15.7 SR ND OFF; XR ND ON 09:02 10 -21.2 -22.0 -22.0 -22.1 XR ND OFF AMB physical temps: S1=20.31 S2=21.12 X1=19.44 Weather conditions: T=6.8C H=60.4 percent sky=clear EOA 09:06 Stop 25 kHz recording AMB = ambient load BOT = Beginning of Track CNR = Carrier to noise ratio CONSCAN = conical scan tracking CW = continuous wave (carrier only) EOT = End of Track FRO = frequency offset HGA = high-gain antenna LOS = loss of signal ND = noise diode No = noise power Pc = carrier power rcvr = receiver S1 = ambient load for S-RCP S2 = ambient load for S-LCP SL = S-LCP SNR = Signal to noise ratio SR = S-RCP TLM = telemetry X1 = Ambient load for both X-band channels XL = X-LCP XR = X-RCP Dick Simpson Original: 2006-08-10 Editorial corrections: 2006-08-14 Minor edits: 2006-08-16