Experimental verification of noncoherent Doppler tracking at the Deep Space Network

Abstract

A recently developed noncoherent Doppler tracking technique has been experimentally verified at the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) Test Facility. This technique permits highly accurate two-way Doppler measurements to he made with a simple transceiver system. The accuracy goal of 0.1 mm/s has been verified as well as the compatibility of the technique with the equipment, practices, and the radiometric file formats used by the DSN. The test setup and measured system performance are described. Several test conditions were varied including signal level, transceiver oscillator frequency drift, physical movement, and telemetry bit rate. A side-by-side comparison of the performance with a coherent transponder was also obtained.