The RadioAstron green bank earth station

H. Alyson Ford, Robert Anderson, Konstantin Belousov, Joseph J. Brandt, John M. Ford, Boris Kanevsky, Anatoly Kovalenko, Yuri Y. Kovalev, Ronald J. Maddalena, Sergei Sergeev, Alexander Smirnov, Galen Watts, Timothy Lee Weadon

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present the design, commissioning, and initial results of the Green Bank Earth Station (GBES), a RadioAstron data downlink station located at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, West Virginia. The GBES uses the modernized and refurbished NRAO 140ft telescope. Antenna optics were refurbished with new motors and drives fitted to the secondary mirror positioning system, and the deformable subreflector was refurbished with a new digital controller and new actuators. A new monitor and control system was developed for the 140ft and is based on that of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), allowing satellite tracking via a simple scheduling block. Tools were developed to automate antenna pointing during tracking. Data from the antenna control systems and logs are retained and delivered with the science and telemetry data for processing at the Astro Space Center (ASC) of the Lebedev Physical Institute (LPI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the mission control centre, Lavochkin Association.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationGround-Based and Airborne Telescopes V
EditorsHelen J. Hall, Larry M. Stepp, Roberto Gilmozzi
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9780819496133
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes
EventGround-Based and Airborne Telescopes V - Montreal, Canada
Duration: Jun 22 2014Jun 27 2014

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9145
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Other

OtherGround-Based and Airborne Telescopes V
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityMontreal
Period6/22/146/27/14

Keywords

  • Control Systems
  • Earth Station
  • Radio Telescope
  • Space VLBI
  • downlink

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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