Communications - Marta Shelton

Planetary CubeSat Symposium 2018
NASA GSFC
Communications
Marta Shelton, ASE, NASA WFF

Deep Space Comm with CubeSats
• Challenges:
Small bodies (6U – 27U) – limited antenna space to cover great and variable ranges
for communications
Planetary Orbit phase arrival constrained by
 Ride Share options availability
 Trajectory – depending on propulsion, you might not get to your planet at periapsis
Data Rate (RF), mostly low, affects DSN scheduling and cost
 New online DSN costing Tool
Relays: CubeSat to Asset-in-Orbit – not yet ready for implementation
 Mother-daughter ship: Rx Radio needs dual frequency switching
If RF: how many frequency bands?
To deploy, or not to deploy?
If Optical Comm: to which Ground Station? (large telescope requirement)
2
Data Rates, RF – Venus
• Scientist: What is my data rate?
• Answer: Where and when?
Venus synodic period = 20 months

Optimal D/L = 3 months (15%)
Affects mission operations planning
Rate calculated with 7W radio and >40dBi deployable Ka band antenna
3
Data Rates, RF – Mars
Mars range (AU)
2.5
Mars synodic period = 2 years
2
 Ideal RF downlink period: 5-7 months
1.5 C&DH Mars
Storage Relay?
1  How to solve the remaining months?
0.5
DSN 4 kbps rate
0
23
78
133
188
1
12
34
45
56
67
89
100
111
122
144
155
166
177
199
210
221
232
243
254
265
276
287
298
309
Maven is to transition to a “relay orbit”
Rate calculated with 7W radio and HG X-band antenna
 Currently pointing nadir to Mars
IRIS Transponder (3.8W) – flight heritage MarCO  “A study is required into operations to rotate
 UHF Rx slice already developed away periodically” – Jim Watzin, Director, Mars
 UHF Tx (or Ka) slice not yet developed Exploration program
 An increased power amplifier would benefit missions  Electra compatible low SWaP UHF Tx radio
with extended durations (not just fly-by) development
4
RF – How many frequency bands?
RF Frequency Bands A new generation solution (JPL):
Universal Space Transponder (UST)
 S-band: for “early checkout” wider  In flight re-programmable SDR
beamwidths, multiple assets available  Direct-to-Earth and Relay Comm support
 X-band: mainstream, preferred uplink from  Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) and analog RF
DSN up/down-converters
 Ka-band: can produce higher gain antennas Example Configuration:
given the same area (Beamwidth is the Receive at X-band and transmit
narrowest) at both X-band and Ka-band, as
 UHF-band: may be ideal for relays; can pair well as UHF transmit and
with light-weight UHF dipoles receive for a proximity link. In
addition, within a supported
frequency band, simultaneous
multichannel
 A CubeSat cannot carry all these radios. operation is possible
 Modular transponders: some of these  Additional Science Instrument Integration, e.g.

“slices” are available  bistatic radar receiver and
 broadband planetary emissions receiver
5
Universal Space Transponder – specs
UST S/X band Engineering Model

DSN & NEN Compatible
TRL-5
6
Antennas: To deploy or Not–to-deploy
Tendeg KaPDA Ka-band antenna deployment.
42.7 dBi. Heritage: RainCube, May 2018 Other Hi-Gain Antennas – not inclusive
Trifold 16x16
element, dual layer
phased array. Shown with MMA's Hawk
30x30cm 26 dBi deployment system
Requires interior stowing space,

Deployable, ~1m flex variable 0.5-1u. Under development
array 34 dBi by PSIcorp.
Customizable .6m/
1m with Cassegrain
sub-reflector. Copper-
31.5/ 36.1 Environmental testing Fall 2018 by
clad Kapton on
dBi MMA
Carbon Fiber
Reinforced Polymer
(CFRP)
 Designed to deploy, some can be re-enforced to mount pre-deployed.

 The aspect that makes some of these low TRL is the mechanical/ deployment/ environmental aspect
 More testing is required
7
DSN – new LAPS tool: costing
 Available to all NASA
centers to access
 Note: MSPA available, 2
for the price of 1
 Shows Setup and
Teardown times, affects
cost
 Choose tracking
options
 Define Service, Event,
Request
 View Schedule
 Click to calculate cost
 Save profile
8
DSN – new LAPS tool: costing 2
 Check the AO if this applies:

“NASA missions that use
standard services will not be
charged by SCaN for recurring
cost for aperture or per-minute
fees. Some fees may apply.”
9
Optical Communications
 Disruptive technology, considerably higher data rate than RF
 Many upcoming demonstrations/ missions:
 LCRD, O2O, OCSD – most in LEO/GEO/Lunar ranges
 Bulk of Optical ground station plans involve < 1m telescopes, not a
good match beyond Lunar distances
 Deep Space Optical Comm (DSOC)
Demonstration, PSYCHE (JPL) in
2022, going on a 1 AU asteroid
mission
 JPL is upgrading the Laser
Beacons at Table Mountain
 Will interface Optical Ground
Receiving equipment at 5m
Palomar Observatory telescope Illustration of Psyche
 JPL proposed an RF/Optical Hybrid “Psyche will use over 1000 kg of xenon”
antenna with mirror elements
added to existing 34m RF antenna
10

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Planetary CubeSat Symposium 2018

Marta Shelton, ASE, NASA WFF

Venus synodic period = 20 months

Rate calculated with 7W radio and >40dBi deployable Ka band antenna

 Modular transponders: some of these  Additional Science Instrument Integration, e.g.

UST S/X band Engineering Model

Requires interior stowing space,

 Designed to deploy, some can be re-enforced to mount pre-deployed.

 Check the AO if this applies:

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