Array Antenna for Indian Deep Space Network

Abstract

Deep space mission tracking is completely different with respect to tracking spacecraft missions in low earth orbit. All interplanetary and deep space missions are having the long period ground visibility from a huge portion of the Earths surface. These missions require minimum number of ground stations for tracking and collecting the payload data from the spacecraft. These ground stations should be located at very large distance to each other at across the globe. These deep space ground stations require very large diameter reflector antennas, cryogenic cooled low noise amplifiers, highly ultra-sensitive receivers, demodulators, data handling systems for data reception and high power transmitters for up linking the commands to spacecraft. The present Indian deep space network station at Bangalore uses a reflector antenna with 32 m diameter equipped with sensitive receivers for data reception and 20 KW High power amplifiers for uplink. Many more such stations are required as the number of interplanetary missions is increasing. For faster installation and ease of fabrication as compared to building a large 32 or 35m antenna, we propose a array of smaller reflector antennae to accomplish the same task more efficiently and quickly.