Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) technique: A test case of the Mars Express Phobos fly-by

Abstract

The closest ever fly-by of the Martian moon Phobos, performed by the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, gives a unique opportunity to sharpen and test the Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiments (PRIDE) technique in the interest of studying planet - satellite systems. The aim of this work is to demonstrate a technique of providing high precision positional and Doppler measurements of planetary spacecraft using the Mars Express spacecraft. The technique will be used in the framework of Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiments in various planetary missions, in particular in fly-by mode. We advanced a novel approach to spacecraft data processing using the techniques of Doppler and phase-referenced very long baseline interferometry spacecraft tracking. We achieved, on average, mHz precision (30 μm/s at a 10 seconds integration time) for radial three-way Doppler estimates and sub-nanoradian precision for lateral position measurements, which in a linear measure (at a distance of 1.4 AU) corresponds to ~50 m.

arXiv comment9 pages, 14 figures. Astronomy and Astrophysics, accepted on 2016/05/31

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• Decoupled and coupled moons' ephemerides estimation strategies -- Application to the JUICE mission
• An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter
• Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) Technique: a Test Case of the Mars Express Phobos Fly-by. 2. Doppler tracking: Formulation of observed and computed values, and noise budget
• Spacecraft VLBI tracking to enhance stellar occultations astrometry of planetary satellites
• Contribution of PRIDE VLBI products to the joint JUICE-Europa Clipper moons' ephemerides solution
• Portuguese SKA White Book
• COMPASS: VLBI Beacons In Support of Lunar Science and Exploration
• Radio astronomy and Space science in Azores: enhancing the Atlantic VLBI infrastructure cluster