UTAS radio telescopes have been used for a number of space projects to track, monitor and study the signals propagated by spacecraft. From the landing of Huygens on the moon Titan, to scintillation studies of the solar wind with Venus and Mars Express, tracking support of Lunar missions, orbit determination of Radio Astron space antenna, to launch and re-entry maneuvers of rockets in Earth orbit.
UTas operates 6 radio telescopes distributed around the Australian continent. The antennae are used daily for a number of astronomical, geodetic and spacecraft tracking purposes. All radio telescopes are operated remotely from the control room in Hobart.
Spacecraft as a target for radio observations are used to study a broad range of scientific phenomena in our solar system and to enhace space missions with additional ground-support.
The University of Tasmania expanded its tracking and satellite communications capabilities with two new antennas to provide ground-support (TTC and data downlink to Earth-orbiting satellites. The 7.3 metre (operating at S-,X- and Ku-band) and the Yagi-type UHF antenna were officially inaugurated in January 2023.
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Detection and study of CME events by analysing the propagation of a spacecraft signal along the plasma cloud: CME-hunting. Molera, 2017
Analysis of the phase fluctuations of spacecraft signals to characterise the solar wind for future space missions. IPS
University of Tasmania has commited to provide ground-support to the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission to be launched in 2022. JUICE
A range of satellite missions including having tracked during launch and landing phase including Globalstar and Space X.
Accurate determination of the state vectors of planetary spacecraft by means of VLBI measurables as done for Radio Astron satellite.
Chracterising near-Earth asteroids with planetary radar techniques.
For interest in our activities contact by email to Guifré Molera Calvés 🗼 guifre.moleracalves at utas.edu.au