Radio Astronomy Use of Space Research (Deep-Space) Bands in The Shielded Zone of The Moon
Radio Astronomy Use of Space Research (Deep-Space) Bands in The Shielded Zone of The Moon
Radio Astronomy Use of Space Research (Deep-Space) Bands in The Shielded Zone of The Moon
Radio Astronomy Use of Space Research (Deep-Space) Bands in the Shielded Zone of the Moon
B. O. Gutierrez-Luaces
TMO Plans and Commitments Ofce
The eects of deep-space probes on future radio-astronomy observations from the shielded zone of the Moon (SZM) are quantied by means of the radio-frequency power densities produced at the lunar surface in those deep-space exploration frequency bands with primary status in the International Telecommunications Union Table of Frequency Allocations. A worst-case approximation is used to determine the maximum number of deep-space probes that would be needed to produce harmful interference to the radio-astronomy observations in those bands.
I. Introduction
The shielded zone of the Moon (SZM) has been dened in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations (RR29-Section VI) [1], and this denition is related to the protection of future radio-astronomy observations from that portion of the Moon never facing the Earth and, therefore, naturally shielded from most of the electromagnetic radiation articially generated at the Earth and its surrounding space. In summary, the SZM comprises the area of the Moons surface and adjacent volume of space which are shielded from emissions originating within a distance of 100,000 km from the center of the Earth.1 In this zone, emissions causing harmful interference to radio astronomy observations and to other users of passive services shall be prohibited in the entire frequency spectrum.2 Exceptions to this are the frequency bands allocated to the space research service using active sensors, to the space operations service, and to other space research transmissions. The Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG) [4] decided in Resolution A12-2R3 to study the technical and operational questions relative to the radio links of scientic information transmission from probes exploring planets and the Moon; to study Agencies future space exploration program spectrum and communications requirements and to make recommendations to member agencies on the actions to be taken to provide the additional spectrum allocations.3
1 International
Telecommunication Union Radio Regulations, International Telecommunication Union, ISBN 92-61-04141-8, RR no. 2632.1, Geneva, Switzerland, p. RR-29-5, 1990. RR no. 2632.
2 Ibid.,
3 Handbook
of the Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG), European Space Agency, Executive Secretariat, Paris, France, Resolution A12-2R3, p. 2, December 15, 1995.
This article will quantify the expected levels of radio-frequency power densities in the SZM produced by deep-space probes exploring the solar system and utilizing the ITUs primary allocations for space research (deep-space) bands: 22902300 MHz (S-band), 84008450 MHz (X-band), and 31,80032,300 MHz (Kaband). Table 1 provides some of the characteristics of the major solar system bodies that are applicable to this subject.
Table 1. Solar system parameters applicable to deep-space explorationSZM interaction.
Parameter Equatorial diameter, km Rotation period, Earth days Year length, Earth days or years Mean distance from the Sun, 106 km Mean orbital velocity, km/s Inclination of axis, deg Inclination of orbit to ecliptic, deg
a Retrograde.
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Moon
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
1,392,000
4878
12,104
12,756 23 h 56 m 4s
3476
6787
142,796
120,000
50,800
48,600
2302
25.38
58.65
243a
27.32
1.03
0.414
0.438
0.65a
0.77
6.39a
88 days
224.7 days
365.26 days
687 days
11.86 yr
29.46 yr
84.01 yr
164.8 yr
247.7 yr
57.9
108.2
149.6
227.9
778.3
1427
2870
4497
5900
7.25
47.9 0.0
35.0 177.3
29.8 23.45
6.68
24.1 25.19
13.1 3.12
9.6 26.73
6.8 97.86
5.4 29.56
4.7 122
7.01
3.39
5.15
1.85
1.30
2.48
0.77
1.77
17.13
very similar electromagnetic power densities at the Earth and Moon surfaces, since the associated space transmission losses dier by a very small amount. This dierence of a few hundredths of a dB increases to almost 2 dB when the deep-space probe is at the near edge of the deep-space region. The deep-space region, as dened by the ITU, starts at a distance of 2 106 km from the Earth. Space research probes at shorter distances (near-Earth) are not addressed in this article. Figure 1 is a representation (not to scale) of the Moon orbiting the Earth, with approximate parameters as given in Table 1. The Sun is assumed to be at the left side of the gure. A given point on the surface of the shielded zone of the Moon will have approximately 14 days of sun illumination followed by another 14 days of total darkness. A deep-space probe exploring the space between the Sun and the Earths orbit is customarily referred to as an inner deep-space probe. All the other space probes are usually known as outer deep-space probes. In Fig. 1, the wave fronts of these two types of deep-space probes have been represented. As the EarthMoon system orbits around the Sun, it may be deduced that the inner deep-space probe wave front will reach the SZM when it is illuminated by the Sun, or approximately 26 weeks out of an Earth year. The remaining 26 weeks of the Earth year, the SZM will eectively be shielded from the line-of-sight propagation of the Suns emissions. Also note that an outer deep-space probe wave front will reach the SZM half of the time when it is illuminated by the Sun and the other half when it is in shade.
EARTH
QUIET ZONE
MOON'S ORBIT
Table 2. Approximate power densities at the Earths surface for a minimum/maximum SSNRs of 4/9 dB. PSDb min/max, dB(W/Hz) 268.6/257.6 278.6/269.6 285.6/270.6 275.6/267.6 284.6/275.6
Antenna diameter, m 34
Frequency banda
ap max/min
S X Ka
70
S X
a S-band
is 22902300 MHz; X-band is 84008450 MHz; and Ka-band is 31,80032,300 MHz. antenna.
b Isotropic
RA LIMITS, CONTINUUM
MAX Ka-BAND
VI. Conclusions
It should be made clear that, due to the primary allocation status of the space research bands, there should not be any need of coordination with radio-astronomy observations eected in these deep-space allocations. Successful radio astronomy observations from the shielded zone of the Moon (SZM) in the S-, X-, and Ka-bands allocated to space research (deep space) seem possible when a limited number of deep-space probes are considered. It has been shown that at least 2 (S-band), 8 (X-band), and 16 (Ka-band) probes, each occupying 0.1 MHz at S-band, 1 MHz at X-band, and 5 MHz at Ka-band, can be active simultaneously and above the SZM radio-astronomy observatory horizon without surpassing the present-day harmful limits specied for Earth-based radio-astronomy observations.
6
Since future observation bandwidths will most probably be at least 10 percent of the center observing frequency, it is suggested that there be new harmful interference levels for radio-astronomy continuum observations in the SZM. These new limits, although more stringent than the present harmful levels for Earth-based observations, would improve the radio-astronomy observational tolerance to the radio emissions from deep-space probes. This is the case if the number of deep-space probes and the limited transmitting bandwidths previously considered remain unchanged. Imposing more constraints on deep-space research exploration than those already naturally encountered should be avoided by all means. Therefore, interference-reduction techniques should be considered and implemented for radio-astronomy observatories wishing to eect observations including the space research (deep-space) allocated bands. Finally, it is suggested that further studies be completed for the inner deep-space probes since this type of probe will radiate into the SZM when it is illuminated by the Sun. Also, it is intended that the potential impact of unwanted emissions (out-of-band and spurious) will be the subject of a future study.
Acknowledgments
The author thanks Dr. R. Thompson of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Dr. P. Richter, D. Bathker, D. Bishop, and F. Borncamp of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the reviews, comments, and suggestions provided.
References
[1] International Telecommunication Union Radio Regulations, International Telecommunication Union, ISBN 92-61- 04141-8, vol. 1, Geneva, Switzerland, 1990. [2] Handbook on Radio Astronomy, International Telecommunication Union, Radiocommunication Bureau, Geneva, Switzerland, 1995. [3] J. D. Kraus, Radio Astronomy, New York: McGraw Hill, 1966. [4] Handbook of the Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG), European Space Agency, Executive Secretariat, Paris, France, December 15, 1995.
SSN R =
(A-1)
with S = received signal (data) power, W Ts = period of the received binary symbol, s N0 = receiver system noise spectral density, W/Hz k = Boltzmanns constant, 1.38 1023 J/K Top = total system operating noise temperature, K TA = antenna noise temperature, K TR = receiver noise temperature, K where S and N0 are determined at the same reference point in the receive system. The above ratio determines the probability of a detected symbol being in error. For BPSK systems, a convenient reference is a probability of 105 for a symbol being in error; that corresponds to an approximate SSNR of 9 dB for uncoded transmissions. The introduction of coding in the symbols transmitted increases the transmission bandwidth but lowers the required SSNR to approximately 4 dB for a typical (7,1/2) convolutional code with the same error rate of 105 . To relate the spectral power ux density (SPFD), W/(m2 Hz), to the SSNR, it should be noted that D2 ap B 4
S = SP F D Ap ap B = SP F D where Ap = physical aperture, m2 ap = aperture eciency B = transmission bandwidth, Hz D = aperture diameter, m The antenna gain may be written as 4 Ap ap 2
8
(A-2)
G=
(A-3)
with = c/f = propagation wavelength, m c = speed of light, 3 1010 m/s f = propagation frequency, Hz Therefore, from Eqs. (A-2) and (A-3), 2 SP F D G B 4
(A-4)
SP F D =
(A-5)
For BPSK signals, B Ts constant. The approximation B Ts 1 will be assumed in the results shown in Table 2. Therefore, for a given SSNR, the SPFD will be approximately independent of the symbol transmission rate and will be dependent in the frequency band in use and the G/Top considered. It is convenient to relate the SPFD to the power spectral density (PSD), W/Hz, and the power (Ptot ), W, produced at the output of an isotropic antenna (0-dBi gain). In this way, comparisons may be made directly to the interference levels harmful to radio astronomy that are given in [2]. The eective area of an isotropic antenna, Aiso (m2 ), is c2 2 = 2 4f 4
Aiso = Therefore,
(A-6)
P SD = SP F D Aiso = SP F D
2 4
(A-7)
Sometimes it is more convenient to relate the total power, ptot , produced by the deep-space probe at the radio astronomy antenna to the harmful interference input power, PH [2]. This total power is related to the PSD by Ptot = P SD B (A-8)
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