Usuda Deep Space Center

Usuda Deep Space Center is a facility of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency[1] It is a spacecraft tracking station opened in October, 1984. The main feature of the station is a 64 meter beam waveguide antenna.[2] This was the first deep-space antenna constructed with beam-waveguide technology.

Before Usuda, the beam-waveguide construction, which dramatically simplifies installation and maintenance of electronics, was thought to offer poor noise performance.[3] However, after the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) tested this antenna and found the noise performance better than their conventional 64-meter antennas,[4] they too switched to this method of construction for all subsequent antennas of their Deep Space Network (DSN).

References

  1. ^ "Usuda Deep Space Center". JAXA. http://www.jaxa.jp/about/centers/udsc/index_e.html. 
  2. ^ Hayashi, T. and Nishimura, T. and Takano, T. and Betsudan, S.I. and Koshizaka, S. (1994). "Japanese deep-space station with 64-m-diameter antenna fed through beam waveguides and its mission applications". Proceedings of the IEEE (IEEE) 82 (5): 646–657. doi:10.1109/5.284732. ISSN 0018-9219. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=284732. 
  3. ^ Layland, J.W. and Rauch, L.L. (1995). "The Evolution of Technology in the Deep Space Network: A History of the Advanced Systems Program". National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. pp. 5. http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/95_20/95-20.pdf. 
  4. ^ Neff, D.. "Use of a 2.3-GHz Traveling-Wave Maser on the Usuda 64-Meter Antenna". TDA Progress Report 42 (JPL) 89: 34--40. http://tmo.jpl.nasa.gov/progress_report/42-89/89C.PDF. 
spaceports
operations and research
Tracking Stations
Katsuura Tracking & Communication Station · Masuda Tracking & Communication Station · Okinawa Tracking & Communication Station