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The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is on her way to Mars. As has been done before, we are planning an in-flight checkout of the Electra UHF relay system board MRO using the SRI 46-meter antenna at Stanford University. The tests are planned for 2005-09-21 between approximately 14:30 and 16:00 UTC and 2005-09-22 between approximately 03:30 and 14:00 UTC. A revised and detailed timeline is avalable here. The testing will involve only reception at Stanford at two UHF frequencies; no transmission from Stanford is planned. The two frequencies to be exercised during these tests are 437.1 MHz and 401.585625 MHz. The signals will be continuous wave (CW) with right circular polarization (RCP). Part of the test objectives will be to map out the pattern of the UHF antenna on MRO, so signal levels will be varying. The estimated gain of the MRO UHF antenna will vary about 0 dBi and the UHF transmit power will be approximately 10 watts.
As for the position, range and range rate for MRO, you can use the Solar System Dynamics "Horizons" web page (see link below). Here is how to calculate doppler. Alternatively, edit the following message to reflect your station's latitude and longitude and mail to horizons@ssd.jpl.nasa.gov with the subject "JOB"
!$$SOF (ssd)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! JPL/Horizons Execution Control Example ! For Radio Amateurs in the MRO UHF Checkout ! Edit SITE_COORD below for your location. Values are ! east longitude (negative for west longitude), latitude ! (negative south of EQ), and height above sea ! level in km. Given the range of MRO and the wide beam- ! widths of our antennas, a height of 0 should suffice. ! The values below are for Boston, Massachusetts USA. ! E-mail to horizons@ssd.jpl.nasa.gov with subject "JOB" !+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ! NOTE: First line in this file must start !$$SOF ! Last line in this file must start !$$EOF ! Assigned values should be in quotes !+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SITE_COORD = '-71.1,42.3,0' COMMAND = '-74' CENTER = 'coord' START_TIME = '2005-NOV-21 00:00' STOP_TIME = '2005-NOV-23 00:00' STEP_SIZE = '60 min' QUANTITIES = '4,20' RANGE_UNITS = 'KM' !$$EOF~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Listed below are files regarding various space missions of interest to amateurs..