Full Version: Electra
What does Electra (the UHF communication link to future surface missions) on MRO mean, if anything, to the two MERs? Will it be used at all for data relay from them? If so does it have a higher SNR so maybe they can up the data/overhead-pass ratio? Or are the MERs already at their highest data rate with Odyssey? I haven't seen any info on this out there.
I believe the UHF package on MER is only equiped to do up to 256k, but what MRO may offer - if the MER's are still up and running in 12 months time - is a new relay path
They've dropped MGS - prefering to use every ounce of its downlink for imaging - but Odyssey can do between 1 and 4 passes every day - up around 60-200 Mbits a go - and it would take about 25 minutes to send back a full 200mbits down to earth.
If MRO is put into service, even if just as an end to end test of the UHF system on board before Phoenix gets there, then it will be able to recieve a little less than Odyssey ( courtesy of being in a lower orbit of about 300 x 200 instead of 400 x 400 km) - perhaps 50-150Mbits, but - it could send that 150Mbits back down to earth in as little as 30 seconds ( but perhaps as long as 8 minutes )
What I would like to see is MRO being used during the long loops of aerobraking to do some UHF relay - because that might give, say, 30, 40 minutes of pass time - which could be as much as 5 or 600 Mbits ( the entire volume of the rovers ) - and dump that to earth in around 5-30 minutes.
BUT - given that they are doing no science during aerobraking - I find it unlikely that they'd do relay ops during aerobraking either.
Doug
They've dropped MGS - prefering to use every ounce of its downlink for imaging - but Odyssey can do between 1 and 4 passes every day - up around 60-200 Mbits a go - and it would take about 25 minutes to send back a full 200mbits down to earth.
If MRO is put into service, even if just as an end to end test of the UHF system on board before Phoenix gets there, then it will be able to recieve a little less than Odyssey ( courtesy of being in a lower orbit of about 300 x 200 instead of 400 x 400 km) - perhaps 50-150Mbits, but - it could send that 150Mbits back down to earth in as little as 30 seconds ( but perhaps as long as 8 minutes )
What I would like to see is MRO being used during the long loops of aerobraking to do some UHF relay - because that might give, say, 30, 40 minutes of pass time - which could be as much as 5 or 600 Mbits ( the entire volume of the rovers ) - and dump that to earth in around 5-30 minutes.
BUT - given that they are doing no science during aerobraking - I find it unlikely that they'd do relay ops during aerobraking either.
Doug
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