戸田 知朗

We built a Ka-band dual-circular-polarization low-noise receiver for the Misasa 54 m parabola antenna in Misasa, Japan. The antenna is designed to be combined with a transmitter and receiver system at the X band (around 8 GHz) and simultaneously with a receiver system at the Ka band. The Ka band is the frequency band around 30 GHz, which is important for deep-space communications and radio astronomy. The receiver comprises some waveguide components including a feed horn, a circular polarizer, and low-noise amplifiers. The components are installed in a vacuum vessel and are cooled to 4 K with a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator, providing low-noise performance. The receiver is capable of simultaneously handling the left- and right-hand circular-polarization (LHCP and RHCP) channels. The receiver-noise temperature was measured to be T-RX similar or equal to 14 K in both the LHCP and RHCP channels. The system-noise temperature, including the antenna loss and atmospheric attenuation at the zenith, was measured to be T-sys = 36-37 K in both the LHCP and RHCP channels on a clear day in September at Misasa. When the receiver is used with the X-band transmitter, the system-noise temperature is maintained at T-sys similar or equal to 42 K in the RHCP channel. The degradation in the system-noise temperature is attributed to a frequency-selective reflector, which divides the signals in the X and Ka bands. There is no contamination from the transmitter to damage the receiver. The receiver has already been in use for deep-space communications and radio-astronomy observations. Our team in the radio-astronomy laboratory of ISAS/JAXA is responsible for the development of the receiver and the measurements of its performance.

A projectile accelerated by the Hayabusa2 Small Carry-on Impactor successfully produced an artificial impact crater with a final apparent diameter of 14.5 ± 0.8 m on the surface of the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu on April 5, 2019. At the time of cratering, Deployable Camera 3 took clear time-lapse images of the ejecta curtain, an assemblage of ejected particles forming a curtain-like structure emerging from the crater. Focusing on the optical depth of the ejecta curtain and comparing it with a theoretical model, we infer the size of the ejecta particles. As a result, the typical size of the ejecta particles is estimated to be several centimeters to decimeters, although it slightly depends on the assumed size distribution. Since the ejecta particles are expected to come from a depth down to ∼1 m, our result suggests that the subsurface layer of Ryugu is composed of relatively small particles compared to the uppermost layer on which we observe many meter-sized boulders. Our result also suggests a deficit of particles of less than ∼1 mm in the subsurface layer. These findings will play a key role in revealing the formation and surface evolution process of Ryugu and other small Solar System bodies.

© 2017 The Author(s). After the arrival of Akatsuki spacecraft of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency at Venus in December 2015, the radio occultation experiment, termed RS (Radio Science), obtained 19 vertical profiles of the Venusian atmosphere by April 2017. An onboard ultra-stable oscillator is used to generate stable X-band downlink signals needed for the experiment. The quantities to be retrieved are the atmospheric pressure, the temperature, the sulfuric acid vapor mixing ratio, and the electron density. Temperature profiles were successfully obtained down to ~ 38 km altitude and show distinct atmospheric structures depending on the altitude. The overall structure is close to the previous observations, suggesting a remarkable stability of the thermal structure. Local time-dependent features are seen within and above the clouds, which is located around 48-70 km altitude. The H2SO4vapor density roughly follows the saturation curve at cloud heights, suggesting equilibrium with cloud particles. The ionospheric electron density profiles are also successfully retrieved, showing distinct local time dependence. Akatsuki RS mainly probes the low and middle latitude regions thanks to the near-equatorial orbit in contrast to the previous radio occultation experiments using polar orbiters. Studies based on combined analyses of RS and optical imaging data are ongoing.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Copyright © 2016 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved. Japan's Venus Climate Orbiter Akatsuki was proposed to ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science) in 2001 as an interplanetary mission. We made 5 cameras with narrow-band filters to image Venus at different wavelengths to track the cloud and minor components distribution at different heights to study the Venusian atmospheric dynamics in 3 dimension. It was launched on May 21st, 2010 and reached Venus on December 7th, 2010. With the thrust by the orbital maneuver engine, Akatsuki tried to go into the westward equatorial orbit around Venus with the 30 hours' orbital period, however it failed by the malfunction of the propulsion system. Later the spacecraft has been orbiting the sun for 5 years. On December 7th, 2015 Akatsuki met Venus again after the orbit control and Akatsuki was put into the westward equatorial orbit whose apoapsis is about 0.44 million km and orbital period of 14 days. Its main target is to shed light on the mechanism of the fast atmospheric circulation of Venus. The systematic imaging sequence by Akatsuki is advantageous for detecting meteorological phenomena with various temporal and spatial scales. We have five photometric sensors as mission instruments for imaging, which are 1 m-infrared camera (IR1), 2 m-infrared camera (IR2), ultra-violet imager (UVI), long-wave infrared camera (LIR), and lightning and airglow camera (LAC). These photometers except LIR have changeable filters in the optics to image in certain wavelengths. Akatsuki's long elliptical orbit around Venus is suitable for obtaining cloud-tracked wind vectors over a wide area continuously from high altitudes. With the observation, the characterizations of the meridional circulation, mid-latitude jets, and various wave activities are anticipated. The technical issues of Venus orbit insertion in 2015 and the scientific new results will be given in this paper.

Experimental evaluation of ultra wideband (UWB) wireless transmission was carried out with a view to replacing wired interface buses in spacecrafts. Application of wireless technologies within the spacecrafts could contribute to reduction in cable weight reduction in the cost of design, manufacture, and test more flexibility in layout of spacecraft subsystems and reliable connections at rotary, moving, and sliding joints. However, multipath propagation in semi-closed conductive enclosures, such as spacecrafts, restricts the link performance. Spatial distributions of UWB and narrowband propagation gains, delay spreads, and throughputs were measured with use of four different-sized shield boxes (simulated miniature satellites). Then UWB link throughput was experimentally evaluated in the boxes with use of connecting off-the-shelf MB-OFDM UWB devices. Increase in the inner volume of boxes resulted in higher UWB propagation gains, but wider delay spreads and hence lower link throughput.

宇宙機近傍に焦点を当てた無線技術を紹介する.近傍のスケールは数mから数1000kmまで及び,目的に応じて様々に通信方式が適用されている.また,無線技術を借りて距離や速度計測も合わせ実施されているのが通常である.このような無線技術についての最適化は通信本意というわけに行かず,宇宙機という限られた資源にあって,いかに目的を達するかという視点でシステム全体を見通さねば理解できないケースが多い.一例としてSCOPE計画を取り上げ,方式の選択から技術開発までの流れを俯瞰してみたい.宇宙機へ適用される技術がミッション指向と言われる一面を理解いただけると思う.更に近年,宇宙機間を繋ぐ以外にも,宇宙機内に閉じた空間において無線技術の適用が始まろうとしている.我々が"Space Wireless"と呼ぶ計装無線化技術の目的と効果,そして将来にあるべき方向性についても論じたい.

Experimental evaluation of ultra wideband (UWB) wireless transmission was carried out with a view to replacing wired interface buses in spacecrafts. Application of wireless technologies within the spacecrafts could contribute to reduction in cable weight; reduction in the cost of design, manufacture, and test; more flexibility in layout of spacecraft subsystems; and reliable connections at rotary, moving, and sliding joints. However, multipath propagation in semi-closed conductive enclosures, such as spacecrafts, restricts the link performance. Spatial distributions of UWB and narrowband propagation gains, delay spreads, and throughputs were measured with use of four different-sized shield boxes (simulated miniature satellites). Then UWB link throughput was experimentally evaluated in the boxes with use of connecting off-the-shelf MB-OFDM UWB devices. Increase in the inner volume of boxes resulted in higher UWB propagation gains, but wider delay spreads and hence lower link throughput.

科学衛星のミッションの衛星通信においてX帯とKa帯の両方を用いることでダウンリンク通信での高速データ転送を容易にすることが求められている.X/Ka帯共用の反射鏡アンテナの1次放射器には,X帯にコルゲートホーンとKa帯にディスク・オン・ロッドアンテナの組み合わせが使用されている.しかし,重量および軸方向の長さの観点から改善が求められている.そこで軽量で薄型な構造を実現するために,X帯にはLプローブで一点給電する長方形マイクロストリップアンテナを用いたシーケンシャルアレーと,Ka帯には4素子ヘリカルアレーとを組み合わせた1次放射器を提案している.本稿では,試作した1次放射器のVSWR,XPDおよび放射パターンを報告する.

Ka-band communications is one of the most important technologies for increasing the amount of data acquired in deep space missions. As a first step toward developing this technology, a Ka-band extender was attached to an existing X-band transponder. The Ka-band extender can generate Ka-band signals from the transponder's signals. The extender is designed so as to reuse design elements of the X-band transponder. This approach ensures reliability of the extender without additional qualification, lowers production costs, and allows for flexibility in the Ka-band extender configuration. For instance, the minimum configuration is a simple upconverter, which is realized by sharing circuits to the greatest extent possible with the transponder. The extender is compatible with the Ka-band specifications in Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems standards. Properties such as a flexible coherent ratio, high-speed analog and digital modulation, and ultralow phase noise for radio science missions are provided. Here, a breadboard model of the Ka-band extender was evaluated in experiments. The Allan variance of the Ka-band output signal was less than 1 × 10^-12 (at 1 s), 1 × 10^-13 (at 10 s), and 1 × 10^-14 (at >100 s) when an external reference signal was used. The Allan variance degradation and phase noise degradation, which were caused by the internal phase locked loop or frequency translation loop, were also measured. The measured phase noise degradation was about 25 dB from the theoretical value.

日本の深宇宙探査は,臼田宇宙空間観測所の64m地球局(臼田64m局)を中心に展開されてきた.したがって,深宇宙通信の性能は臼田64m局と組み合わせる搭載通信サブシステムの性能によって決まってくる.金星探査機「あかつき」を例に日本の深宇宙通信の現状を紹介し,これまでの我が国の深宇宙探査機の搭載通信技術について,米国航空宇宙局(NASA)の深宇宙探査機と比較しながら概観する.更に,開発中の深宇宙通信技術から将来技術の方向性について展望する.

The Radio Science experiment (RS) in the Akatsuki mission of JAXA aims to determine the vertical structure of the Venus atmosphere, thereby complementing the imaging observations by onboard instruments. The physical quantities to be retrieved are the vertical distributions of the atmospheric temperature, the electron density, the H2SO4 vapor density, and small-scale density fluctuations. The uniqueness of Akatsuki RS as compared to the previous radio occultation experiments at Venus is that low latitudes can be probed many times thanks to the near-equatorial orbit. Systematic sampling in the equatorial region provides an opportunity to observe the propagation of planetary-scale waves that might contribute to the maintenance of the super-rotation via eddy momentum transport. Covering the subsolar region is essential to the understanding of cloud dynamics. Frequent sampling in the subsolar electron density also helps the understanding of ionosphere dynamics. Another unique feature of Akatsuki RS is quasi-simultaneous observations with multi-band cameras dedicated to meteorological study; the locations probed by RS are observed by the cameras a short time before or after the occultations. An ultra-stable oscillator provides a stable reference frequency which is needed to generate the X-band downlink signal used for RS.

In this paper, we present a sequentially rotated array antenna with a rectangular patch MSA fed by an L-probe. Since it's important to decrease couplings between patch elements in order to suppress the cross-polarization level, rectangular patches with aspect ratio of k are adopted. We investigate the cross-polarization level of the sequential array and discuss the relationship between the cross-polarization level and the mutual coupling. As a result, the bandwdith of the antenna element is obtained 14.6% when its VSWR is less than 1.5, and the directivity and cross-polarization level of a 4-patch sequential array are 10.8 dBic and 1.7 dBic, respectively, where k=0.6 and the patch spacing of d=0.5 wave length. These characteristics are 5.6 dB and 5.8 dB better than the corresponding values of a square patch sequential array antenna.

The application of Ka band to deep space communication is attractive. It makes profit of either higher bit rate or more compact system depending on what we prefer for our system. We also have tried to introduce Ka band technology to our deep space activities since the beginning of the 21st century. But a decade was needed till the missions actively take the Ka band benefits in their proposal. They are also active to construct a new deep space ground station for Ka band. We will discuss our onboard and ground station system for Ka band that we have prepared for this decade. Among them we will take up a Ka band coherent transmitter attached to the exiting X band transponder and a blueprint of our future Ka band ground station. Copyright ©2010 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.

PLANET-C (PLC) is the mission of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for Venus exploration. It is a successor of HAYABUSA in the history of Japanese deep space missions and is expected to be the first Japanese planetary orbiter. The spacecraft will be launched in the summer of 2010 from Tanegashima Space Center. The mission has demanded new onboard telecommunication instruments. Among them are X-band digital transponder, high gain flat antenna, and low gain wider field of view antenna. Through their developments, new technologies such as deep space regenerative ranging adapted for JAXA ground stations have been successfully incorporated into the PLC system. They are now raedy for their first space-borne demonstration. We will discuss these telecommunication technologies newly introduced for the PLC mission.

PLANET-C, the spacecraft for Venus exploration developed in Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is under careful construction for the coming launch in the summer of 2010. It is expected to be the first Japanese orbiter other than Earth and Moon. Some new onboard communication instruments to encourage PLANET-C ambitious missions have been developed since 2001. Among them are X-band digital transponder, slot array high gain flat antenna, and low gain wide field of view lens antenna, and X-band power amplifier. New technologies such as deep space regenerative ranging have been introduced and customized so as to fit the JAXA style. They are now successfully operated through the ground tests of PLANET-C and ready for flight qualification. The qualified products will be catalogued as standard components in deep space activities of JAXA for the next decade.