COMMUNICATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR A DEEP SPACE TELECOM RELAY STATION

摘要

Future missions to the outer planets can be greatly enhanced by utilizing relay stations at those planets. The key advantage is an increase in data rate to earth. An initial link budget is derived and the parameters for a relay station at Jupiter are presented. Several of the key antenna technologies that enable such a mission, are explored along with the constraints of each technology. The results of the feasibility study postulate that the enabling feature required for the antenna system is an inflatable reflector antenna. However, the inflatable antenna system has many unique properties in the areas of mass, structural characteristics, and surface features that directly effect RF performance. Detailed studies of these properties show a high viability telecom relay station using inflatable antennas.