Radio Heliophysics Key Project Update (Part II)

J. KasperHarvard-Smithsonian Center for

Astrophysics

R. MacDowallNASA Goddard Space Flight Center 21 September

LUNAR Steering Committee MeetingNASA/GSFC

Outline 2

• Wind Waves RAD2 plan-AGU presentation

• GSFC PF antenna work planned (fall 2009)

• GSFC ULP-ULT plan (FY10)– Returned all FY09 funding to HQ

• Chandrayaan-2 deployer/issues

Wind Waves RAD2 RFI study

Moon

Wind Waves RAD2 midnight LT

Wind Waves RAD2 6am LT .

Wind Waves RAD2 noon LT .

RAD2 solar type III storm .

GSFC-NRL PF antenna actions

• Above shows length of polyimide film (5 μ copper on 25 μ Kapton), tested in 2008

• Preliminary tests as antenna (NRL, GSFC, and Colorado)

• Still have about 75 m of roll (from Sheldahl) for add’l testing

GSFC-NRL PF antenna actions 2

In 2009, GSFC & NRL plan to:• Create antennas and leads, either by

dissolving (unmasked) copper from Kapton or by cutting (as a backup)

• Measure mutual impedance, etc.• Use routinely as an antenna for solar

bursts (at GGAO)• Also have an engineering grad student

who will do a detailed analysis of optimizing propagation, in collaboration with work at NRL. Improve on waveguide developed at ROLSS ISAL study by GSFC engineer. waveguide

GSFC ULT-ULP activities .

• Starting FY10, with Susan Neff, Pen-Shu Yeh (GSFC), SAO, and other institutions will review options for supporting design of needed hardware design with seed funding

• Justin has presented one approach• Other options to support include:

– Gary Maki, CAMBR, U. Idaho – ULP hardware correlators on chip– Ridgetop Group, Tucson – chip development (ADCs)– TRIAD Semiconductor, Winston-Salem – via configurable array

technology (have rad hard designs > 1 MRad); said to have power requirements as low as 10% of FPGA solutions

Lunar pathfinder PF antenna deployment

5) Russian rover pulls film out

Lunar pathfinder PF antenna 2

Components:• Spring-loaded “anchor" held in

“anchor” tube by pull-pins• Line (folded in canister)• Motor to pull in line• Film, roller, bearings & mounts• Film canister w/ spring-loaded

door, held shut by 2 pull-pins• Wiring harness• Controller

1) Canister cover opens, placing anchor in launch position

2) Springs propel anchor away from lander

3) Motor begins winding in line, setting the anchor

4) Continued winding unrolls film from roller

5) Winding stops when “bead” on line reaches motor; antenna is deployed

View into film canister

Film roller

motor

4) Motor pulls line, setting anchor, then pulling film antenna from roll

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1) Anchor & film canisters stowed

2) Anchor & canister in launch position

3) Anchor launched, pulling line from canister. Travels ~35 m thanks to low lunar gravity.

Bead