{"id":47507,"date":"2021-02-01T07:04:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T11:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=47507"},"modified":"2021-02-01T07:05:38","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T11:05:38","slug":"radio-waves-nrao-turns-scope-into-planetary-radar-wbcq-seeks-engineers-deep-space-network-upgrades-and-2021-propagation-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/radio-waves-nrao-turns-scope-into-planetary-radar-wbcq-seeks-engineers-deep-space-network-upgrades-and-2021-propagation-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Waves: NRAO Turns Scope System Into Planetary Radar, WBCQ Seeks Engineers, Deep Space Network Upgrades, and 2021 Propagation Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GBT-VLBA radar image of the region where Apollo 15 landed in 1971. The snake-like feature is Hadley Rille, a remnant of ancient volcanic activity, probably a collapsed lava tube. The crater at top, alongside the rille, is called Hadley C and is about 6 kilometers in diameter. This image shows objects as small as 5 meters across.
(Credit: NRAO\/GBO\/Raytheon\/NSF\/AUI)<\/p><\/div>\n

Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio<\/h2>\n

Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post<\/em>\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s<\/em> Radio Waves<\/em>, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio.\u00a0<\/strong>Enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Successful Test Paves Way for New Planetary Radar (NRAO)<\/a><\/h3>\n

The National Science Foundation\u2019s Green Bank Observatory (GBO) and National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Raytheon Intelligence & Space conducted a test in November to prove that a new radio telescope system can capture high-resolution images in near-Earth space.<\/p>\n

GBO\u2019s\u00a0Green Bank Telescope (GBT)<\/a>\u00a0in West Virginia \u2014 the world\u2019s largest fully steerable radio telescope \u2014 was outfitted with a new transmitter developed by Raytheon Intelligence & Space, allowing it to transmit a radar signal into space. The NRAO\u2019s continent-wide\u00a0Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)<\/a>\u00a0received the reflected signal and produced images of the Apollo 15 moon landing site.<\/p>\n

The proof-of-concept test, culminating a two-year effort, paves the way for designing a more powerful transmitter for the telescope. More power will allow enhanced detection and imaging of small objects passing by the Earth, moons orbiting around other planets and other debris in the Solar System.<\/p>\n

The technology was developed as part of a cooperative research and development agreement between NRAO, GBO, and Raytheon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project opens a whole new range of capabilities for both NRAO and GBO,\u201d said Tony Beasley, director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and vice president for Radio Astronomy at Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI). \u201cWe\u2019ve participated before in important radar studies of the Solar System, but turning the GBT into a steerable planetary radar transmitter will greatly expand our ability to pursue intriguing new lines of research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using the information collected with this latest test, the participants will finalize a plan to develop a 500-kilowatt, high-power radar system that can image objects in the Solar System with unprecedented detail and sensitivity. The increased performance also will allow astronomers to use radar signals as far away as the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, increasing our understanding of the Solar System.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe planned system will be a leap forward in radar science, allowing access to never before seen features of the Solar System from right here on Earth,\u201d said Karen O\u2019Neil, the Green Bank Observatory site director.<\/p>\n

\u201cRaytheon\u2019s radar techniques could ultimately improve our ability to explore the Solar System,\u201d said Steven Wilkinson, Principal Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Intelligence & Space. \u201cWorking with the astronomy community allows us to apply decades of radar know-how to a project that provides high-resolution images of near-Earth objects.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to be partnering with Raytheon and applying their radar expertise to transform our observatories\u2019 telescopes in new science areas,\u201d said AUI President Adam Cohen.<\/p>\n

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.[…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

WBCQ:\u00a0Radio transmitter engineers wanted<\/a><\/h3>\n

WBCQ Radio is seeking radio transmitter engineers to work at our 500KW shortwave station. Come to northern Maine and get away from it all. Nice working environment, good pay, great people, fun work with BIG transmitting and antenna equipment. Contact Allan and Angela Weiner at 207-538-9180. Please send resumes to wbcq@wbcq.com<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Deep Space Network upgrades and new antennas increase vital communication capabilities (NASA)<\/a><\/h3>\n

NASA\u2019s Deep Space Network, commonly referred to as the DSN, has welcomed a new dish, Deep Space Station 56, to its family of powerful ground listening stations around the world.<\/p>\n

The now-operational 34-meter antenna joins the network\u2019s Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex located 60 kilometers west of Madrid, Spain while other dishes within the network undergo critical upgrades.<\/p>\n

The new dish is part of an ongoing series of enhancements to the DSN, which traces its roots back to January 1958 when the U.S. Army\u2019s Jet Propulsion Lab was tasked with standing up a series of communications stations in Nigeria, Singapore, and the U.S. state of California to support orbital telemetry operations for the Explorer 1 mission.<\/p>\n

This precursor to the Deep Space Network was transferred to NASA along with the Jet Propulsion Lab on 3 December 1958. The DSN was then formally commissioned by the U.S. space agency as a way to consolidate the pending deep space communication needs through centralized locations to avoid each mission having to create its own ground listening station(s).<\/p>\n

The three Deep Space Network ground locations are spaced roughly 120 degrees from each other in Canberra, Australia; Goldstone, California; and Madrid, Spain. The location of the three facilities ensures deep space missions with a line of sight to Earth can communicate with at least one of the locations at any time.<\/p>\n

Updates throughout the decades have increased the network\u2019s capabilities, most notably for the two Voyager probes that continue to operate and send back science data having both long-passed out of the heliosphere and into the interstellar medium.<\/p>\n

The network, nonetheless, is showing its age, with upgrades and refurbishments needed to ensure continuous operations. Part of this initiative is the recent addition of the new dish, Deep Space Station 56 (DSS-56), at the Madrid complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the lengthy process of commissioning, the DSN\u2019s most-capable 34-meter antenna is now talking with our spacecraft,\u201d said Bradford Arnold, DSN project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2021 Propagation Summit Session Recordings Available (ARRL News)<\/a><\/h3>\n
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YouTube recordings and PDF files from the 2021 Propagation Summit<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0hosted on January 23 by Contest University are available. More than 1,000 logged in for the sessions. Each presentation begins approximately on the hour. You can\u00a0advance the video to the presentation you wish to view.<\/p>\n