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Start Over Topic radio astronomy Topic space exploration Publication Year Range Last 3 years Journal advances in space research
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1. Radio astronomy and Space science in Azores: Enhancing the Atlantic VLBI infrastructure cluster.

Author

Barbosa, Domingos, Coelho, Bruno, Antón, Sonia, Bergano, Miguel, Boekholt, Tjarda, Correia, Alexandre C.M., Maia, Dalmiro, Pandeirada, João, Ribeiro, Valério, Adams, Jason, Barraca, João Paulo, Gomes, Diogo, and Morgado, Bruno

Subjects
*SPACE sciences, *SPACE astronomy, *RADIO astronomy, *VERY long baseline interferometry, *SPACE debris, *SPACE exploration
Abstract

Radio astronomy and Space Infrastructures in the Azores have a great scientific and industrial interest because they benefit from a unique geographical location in the middle of the North Atlantic allowing a vast improvement in the sky coverage. This fact obviously has a very high added value for: i) the establishment of space tracking and communications networks for the emergent global small satellite fleets ii) it is invaluable to connect the radio astronomy infrastructure networks in Africa, Europe and America continents using Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) techniques, iii) it allows excellent potential for monitoring space debris and Near Earth Objects (NEOs). There is in S. Miguel island a 32-metre SATCOM antenna that could be integrated in advanced VLBI networks and be capable of additional Deep Space Network ground support. This paper explores the space science opportunities offered by the upgrade of the S. Miguel 32-metre SATCOM antenna into a world-class infrastructure for radio astronomy and space exploration: it would enable a Deep Space Network mode and would constitute a key space facility for data production, promoting local digital infrastructure investments and the testing of cutting-edge information technologies. Its Atlantic location also enables improvements in angular resolution, provides many baselines in East–West and North–South directions connecting the emergent VLBI stations in America to Europe and Africa VLBI arrays therefore contributing for greater array imaging capabilities especially for sources or well studied fields close to or below the celestial equator, where ESO facilities, ALMA, SKA and its precursors do or will operate and observe in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2021
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2. Radio astronomy and Space science in Azores: Enhancing the Atlantic VLBI infrastructure cluster

Author

Bruno Morgado, Dalmiro Maia, Sonia Anton, Diogo Gomes, Domingos Barbosa, Bruno Coelho, João Paulo Barraca, Tjarda Boekholt, João Pandeirada, V. A. R. M. Ribeiro, Alexandre C. M. Correia, Jason Adams, and Miguel Bergano

Subjects
Atmospheric Science, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Computer science, media_common.quotation_subject, FOS: Physical sciences, Aerospace Engineering, NASA Deep Space Network, 01 natural sciences, Space exploration, Physics - Space Physics, 0103 physical sciences, Very-long-baseline interferometry, Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM), 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, media_common, business.industry, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atlantic connections, Space Physics (physics.space-ph), Geophysics, Space and Planetary Science, Sky, Space tracking, Radioastronomy, General Earth and Planetary Sciences, Satellite, Space Science, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Telecommunications, business, Very Long Baseline Interferometry [Techniques], Space debris, Radio astronomy
Abstract

Radio astronomy and Space Infrastructures in the Azores have a great scientific and industrial interest because they benefit from a unique geographical location in the middle of the North Atlantic allowing a vast improvement in the sky coverage. This fact obviously has a very high added value for: i) the establishment of space tracking and communications networks for the emergent global small satellite fleets ii) it is invaluable to connect the radio astronomy infrastructure networks in Africa, Europe and America continents using Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) techniques, iii) it allows excellent potential for monitoring space debris and Near Earth Objects (NEOs). There is in S. Miguel island a 32-metre SATCOM antenna that could be integrated in advanced VLBI networks and be capable of additional Deep Space Network ground support. This paper explores the space science opportunities offered by the upgrade of the S. Miguel 32-metre SATCOM antenna into a world-class infrastructure for radio astronomy and space exploration: it would enable a Deep Space Network mode and would constitute a key space facility for data production, promoting local digital infrastructure investments and the testing of cutting-edge information technologies. Its Atlantic location also enables improvements in angular resolution, provides many baseline in East-West and North-South directions connecting the emergent VLBI stations in America to Europe and Africa VLBI arrays therefore contributing for greater array imaging capabilities especially for sources or well studied fields close to or below the celestial equator, where ESO facilities, ALMA, SKA and its precursors do or will operate and observe in the coming decades., Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for Publication at Advances in Space Research, COSPAR, Elsevier

Published
2021