Planetary radio interferometry and Doppler experiment as an operational component of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of specialized scheduling software and procedures for PRIDE radio astronomy observations as part of the JUICE mission, enhancing observation planning and testing PRIDE techniques through simulations.

Contribution

It introduces new and adapted scheduling routines for spacecraft observations, improving planning methods for planetary radio interferometry in space missions.

Findings

Improved observation scheduling for spacecraft and natural sources.

Successful simulation of Venus flyby to test PRIDE techniques.

Enhanced procedures for calibrator source selection across frequency bands.

Abstract

We present an overview of the operations and engineering interface for Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) radio astronomy observations as a scientific component of the ESA s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, as well as other prospective planetary and space science missions. The article discusses advanced scheduling and planning methods that make it possible to create observing schedules for observations of specific spacecraft in concurrence with observations of natural radio sources. In order to put this into practice and find suitable natural background calibrator sources for PRIDE of JUICE mission, we developed planning and scheduling software. The conventional scheduling software for natural celestial radio sources is not set up to include spacecraft as observation targets in the necessary control files. Therefore, difficulties already arise during observation planning. We report on the development of new and the adaptation of existing routines used in astrophysical and geodetic VLBI for satellite scheduling and planning. The analysis of the PRIDE science observations led to improved observational planning, and the mission s scheduling methodologies were studied using a systems engineering approach. In addition, we highlighted the new procedures, like finding charts for selecting calibrator radio sources over a range of frequency bands and the outcomes of those strategies for science operation planning. A simulation of the flyby of Venus during the cruise phase of the JUICE spacecraft, based on the Tudat software, is also presented, resulting in a promising opportunity to test PRIDE techniques and evaluate the improvements that PRIDE observables can make to natural bodies ephemerides.