How was New Horizon able to direct data so precisely back to Earth?
New Horizon is sending back images of Ultima Thule, 6.4 billion kilometres away. Barring having a very large power to send information back on a very large angle, it seems to me that the level of precision to send this information back so that it can captured by an antenna on Earth is prohibitively hard to get. How is NASA accomplishing it?
nasa spacecraft new-horizons
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New Horizon is sending back images of Ultima Thule, 6.4 billion kilometres away. Barring having a very large power to send information back on a very large angle, it seems to me that the level of precision to send this information back so that it can captured by an antenna on Earth is prohibitively hard to get. How is NASA accomplishing it?
nasa spacecraft new-horizons
asked 3 hours ago
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user is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
New Horizon is sending back images of Ultima Thule, 6.4 billion kilometres away. Barring having a very large power to send information back on a very large angle, it seems to me that the level of precision to send this information back so that it can captured by an antenna on Earth is prohibitively hard to get. How is NASA accomplishing it?
nasa spacecraft new-horizons
asked 3 hours ago
user
1241
New contributor
user is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New Horizon is sending back images of Ultima Thule, 6.4 billion kilometres away. Barring having a very large power to send information back on a very large angle, it seems to me that the level of precision to send this information back so that it can captured by an antenna on Earth is prohibitively hard to get. How is NASA accomplishing it?
nasa spacecraft new-horizons
nasa spacecraft new-horizons
asked 3 hours ago
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asked 3 hours ago
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asked 3 hours ago
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asked 3 hours ago
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The high gain antenna of New Horizon as an opening angle of its beam of about 0.6°. That means, it has to be pointed at Earth with an error margin of 0.3°.
As a practical example, this is more like pointing a torch with a (focused) beam at a far target than aiming with a tiny Laser spot.
The antenna is fixed to the spacecraft, so that the whole space probe has to rotate (that's the reason there was no direct data download during the encounter with Pluto). Rotating is accomplished by its on-board thrusters that can be used to adjust rotation very precisely.
Now the only remaining point is to figure out were Earth is located. Luckily somebody installed a bright beacon light relatively close to Earth (better known as the Sun) that can be used to find it. From Pluto Earth is at most 1.3° off to either side of the Sun.
New Horizons is equipped with a star tracker - essentially a camera that takes images of the sky and some software that reads the position and brightness of stars and compares them with a map.
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
2
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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The high gain antenna of New Horizon as an opening angle of its beam of about 0.6°. That means, it has to be pointed at Earth with an error margin of 0.3°.
As a practical example, this is more like pointing a torch with a (focused) beam at a far target than aiming with a tiny Laser spot.
The antenna is fixed to the spacecraft, so that the whole space probe has to rotate (that's the reason there was no direct data download during the encounter with Pluto). Rotating is accomplished by its on-board thrusters that can be used to adjust rotation very precisely.
Now the only remaining point is to figure out were Earth is located. Luckily somebody installed a bright beacon light relatively close to Earth (better known as the Sun) that can be used to find it. From Pluto Earth is at most 1.3° off to either side of the Sun.
New Horizons is equipped with a star tracker - essentially a camera that takes images of the sky and some software that reads the position and brightness of stars and compares them with a map.
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
2
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
add a comment |
The high gain antenna of New Horizon as an opening angle of its beam of about 0.6°. That means, it has to be pointed at Earth with an error margin of 0.3°.
As a practical example, this is more like pointing a torch with a (focused) beam at a far target than aiming with a tiny Laser spot.
The antenna is fixed to the spacecraft, so that the whole space probe has to rotate (that's the reason there was no direct data download during the encounter with Pluto). Rotating is accomplished by its on-board thrusters that can be used to adjust rotation very precisely.
Now the only remaining point is to figure out were Earth is located. Luckily somebody installed a bright beacon light relatively close to Earth (better known as the Sun) that can be used to find it. From Pluto Earth is at most 1.3° off to either side of the Sun.
New Horizons is equipped with a star tracker - essentially a camera that takes images of the sky and some software that reads the position and brightness of stars and compares them with a map.
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
2
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
add a comment |
The high gain antenna of New Horizon as an opening angle of its beam of about 0.6°. That means, it has to be pointed at Earth with an error margin of 0.3°.
As a practical example, this is more like pointing a torch with a (focused) beam at a far target than aiming with a tiny Laser spot.
The antenna is fixed to the spacecraft, so that the whole space probe has to rotate (that's the reason there was no direct data download during the encounter with Pluto). Rotating is accomplished by its on-board thrusters that can be used to adjust rotation very precisely.
Now the only remaining point is to figure out were Earth is located. Luckily somebody installed a bright beacon light relatively close to Earth (better known as the Sun) that can be used to find it. From Pluto Earth is at most 1.3° off to either side of the Sun.
New Horizons is equipped with a star tracker - essentially a camera that takes images of the sky and some software that reads the position and brightness of stars and compares them with a map.
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
The high gain antenna of New Horizon as an opening angle of its beam of about 0.6°. That means, it has to be pointed at Earth with an error margin of 0.3°.
As a practical example, this is more like pointing a torch with a (focused) beam at a far target than aiming with a tiny Laser spot.
The antenna is fixed to the spacecraft, so that the whole space probe has to rotate (that's the reason there was no direct data download during the encounter with Pluto). Rotating is accomplished by its on-board thrusters that can be used to adjust rotation very precisely.
Now the only remaining point is to figure out were Earth is located. Luckily somebody installed a bright beacon light relatively close to Earth (better known as the Sun) that can be used to find it. From Pluto Earth is at most 1.3° off to either side of the Sun.
New Horizons is equipped with a star tracker - essentially a camera that takes images of the sky and some software that reads the position and brightness of stars and compares them with a map.
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
edited 3 hours ago
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
answered 3 hours ago
asdfex
5,1991424
5,1991424
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
2
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
add a comment |
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
2
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
Very nice answer!
– Russell Borogove
3 hours ago
2
2
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
That bright beacon is particularly important for the medium gain antenna, especially just after the vehicle first wakes up after a long hibernation period. The medium gain antenna has a 10° half power beamwidth, so pointing the vehicle so the medium gain antenna points at that bright beacon means the vehicle is able to receive the command from the Earth that tells it where to point itself so the high gain antenna is pointed at the Earth.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
In addition to rate gyros and star trackers, New Horizons is also equipped with bright beacon detectors, aka Sun sensors.
– David Hammen
2 hours ago
add a comment |
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