2011 June 1

INSA finished the ESA project “Future Architecture of ESA Deep Space Stations for Enhanced Mission Support”. The study was presented in ESOC (European Space Operations Centre).

The deep space missions require a high data transfer rate and multiple links per mission. This will be a high requirement for the common ground segments based on 35 m antennas, as the Cebreros antenna. Thus, it is necessary to find different solutions and evaluate them in terms of costs and capacities. The main solutions studied during this project were: 12 m antennas arrays, 35 m antennas arrays, optical ground stations and 100 m antennas. Both arrays solutions were selected and a comparative study was performed. A pre-design of the antenna, RF, signal distribution and process systems was carried out for both options. In base of these pre-designs, different capacities were evaluated: wide band conformation, calibration, availability... The main conclusion was that the solution based on 12 m antennas arrays is the less expensive and provides better capacities.