Activities in space communication, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based astronomy are reported. Advanced systems for the Deep Space Network and its Ground-Communications Facility are discussed including station control and system technology. Network sustaining as well as data and information systems are covered. Studies of geodynamics, investigations of the microwave spectrum, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are reported.

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The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Progress Report 42-77

During the mid-1980s, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) Deep Space Network (DSN) introduced a new 34-m high-aperture-efficiency dual-shaped reflector antenna (see Chapter 1, Section 1.2.4, of this monograph) into the DSN (Fig. 6-1). The initial requirements were to provide a simultaneous receive-only capability at X-band (8.400–8.500 GHz) and S-band (2.2–2.3 GHz), to be used operationally for the first time in support of the January 1986 Voyager 2 spacecraft flyby encounter with Uranus, more than 3 billion km away. The 34-m antenna was used as one leg of a receive array system that also included the DSN’s 64-m and the 34-m standard antennas. The addition of the new 34-m antenna added a nominal 0.8 dB to the 64-m and 34m standard antenna array used for the Voyager Saturn encounter. The 34-m high-efficiency (HEF) antenna is equipped with an electrically driven azimuth–elevation type of mount. The antenna dish is supported by a steel space frame that rotates in azimuth on four self-aligning wheel assemblies that ride on a precisely leveled circular steel track. The track is held firmly in place by 16 tangential links that attach to a centrally reinforced concrete pedestal. The antenna dish structure is attached to the elevation gear wheel, which drives the antenna up and down. The operating speeds are 0.4 deg/s in azimuth and elevation. Two significant radio frequency (RF) developments were the dualfrequency feed, which provides for simultaneous multifrequency operation

Deep Space Station 15: Uranus—The First 34‐Meter High‐Efficiency Antenna

A prototype X/S-band common aperture horn feed for future use at various DSN sites and the Network Consolidation Program is discussed. The final design and fabrication of the second generation feedhorn and combiner is dealt with. The results of the measurements obtained with the second generation, full scale feed configuration are presented.

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W. Williams

Papers

A prototype DSN X/S-band feed: DSS 13 application status