Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-fv566 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-22T22:34:34.983Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Astrometry in Local Reference Frames for Deep Space Navigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2017

R. N. Treuhaft*
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Future deep space missions will benefit from submilliarcsecond angular navigation accuracy (< 25 km projected distance at Neptune). Conventional Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) measurement strategies entail observations of a radio source (RS) and spacecraft pair. To increase the 3–5 milliarcsecond accuracies currently attainable, instrumental improvements could be coupled with either of two methods: 1) Use improved calibration measurements with the single RS as the spacecraft reference, or 2) use a reference frame established by a local network of RS's near the spacecraft to reduce the contribution of sky-dependent error sources. The demanding baseline vector (earth orientation) and tropospheric calibrations needed to realize submilliarcsecond accuracy with the single-source strategy would not be necessary with the multi-source strategy. The two strategies are compared via a sample covariance analysis. In this analysis, the single-source method yields 1.5 milliarcseconds for the navigation accuracy, while the multi-source method yields 0.5 milliarcseconds.

Type
Astrometry
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1988 

References

Border, J. S., et. al., AIAA Paper #82-1471, August 1982.Google Scholar
Fomalont, E. B., and Sramek, R. A., Astrophysical Journal, 199, 749, August 1975.Google Scholar
Rogers, A. E. E. et. al., Science 219, 51, January 1983.Google Scholar