New tests of the probe devices «remote» within days
3 centers around the world directing "hope" signals to "Al Khawaneej Station"
The guiding stage includes operating the scientific instruments and checking them to ensure their safety.
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The Emirates Mars Exploration Project stated that the Hope probe, which is currently continuing its journey towards its orbit on Mars, sends and receives communication signals with the earth station in Al Khawaneej in Dubai through three call centers around the world, which represent the so-called "deep space monitoring network", pointing out that the probe It will start a new guidance process to conduct other tests on its devices "remotely" in the coming days, to check on it, especially since the more the probe travels a greater distance, the fewer times it is contacted.
In detail, the Emirates Mars Exploration Project broadcast an instructional video on its official pages on social media platforms, to introduce the mechanisms and means of communication between the Hope probe, which is currently making its way in space towards its orbit on Mars, and the earth station in the Al Khawaneej area in Dubai, explaining that the probe is communicating with the station The Earth, through the so-called "Deep Space Observation Network."
According to the video, the global network belongs to the US space agency "NASA", and is equipped with huge antennas consisting of three call centers distributed around the world, so that each center is separated from the other by a distance of 120 degrees on the diameter of the globe, pointing out that the first center is located in Goldstone in the desert Mohave is located in California, USA, while the second place is located near Madrid in Spain, and the third place is located on the outskirts of Canberra in Australia.
He added that the geographical distribution of the centers contributes to direct and continuous contact with the distant spacecraft, at a time when the Earth revolves around its axis, and then the data is directed through the network to the mission operations center, pointing out that the three centers are distinguished by being located in semi-mountainous areas surrounding It has mountains on all its sides, in an attempt to reduce the interference of other radio waves coming from mobile phones, radio broadcasts, and others.
He stated that the strategic location of the three ground monitoring stations sites allows continuous communication with spacecraft during the rotation of the planet, so that communication between these stations moves before any spacecraft moves away from one of the sites of the deep space network around the world, in order to ensure the continuation of the capture of signals from the vehicle and the continuation of communication. Out.
Each of the three centers has a large antenna, whose diameter ranges between 34 and 70 meters.
These antennas are an indispensable link outside the Earth, as they provide continuous and strong communication with the spacecraft devices, and receive signals with the scientific information they carry that help a better understanding of the universe and the planets of the solar system.
The information also includes the name of the spacecraft, the range in which it is located, in addition to the signal time, back and forth, the name of the antenna, the height of the azimuth, the wind speed, as well as the position of the spacecraft, and information about the signal sent to and from the spacecraft, which are automatically updated every five Seconds.
According to the Emirates Mars Exploration Project, the main goal of the deep space monitoring system is to follow up the results, images and analyzes of all space probes sent to the planets of the solar system, following radio astronomy, indicating that the deep space monitoring system is part of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the Agency American space «NASA».
The project explained that the Al-Amal probe will witness a new guidance process to conduct other tests on its devices "remotely" in the coming days, especially since the more distance the probe travels, the number of times it will be contacted will decrease, especially as it is equipped with technical capabilities that make it able to deal with any problem that it may encounter directly. Without going back to the ground station.
During the path guidance phase, scientific instruments are turned on and checked to ensure that they are working properly, and the devices are examined by directing them towards the stars, to ensure the integrity of their alignment angles, and to ensure that they are ready to work once they reach Mars.
At the end of this stage, the Hope probe approaches Mars at a specified speed and precise angle of inclination in order to enter its orbit.
third level
The Emirates Mars Exploration Project stated that the Hope probe is currently in the third stage, which is the "flight to Mars" stage, in which the usual operations to follow the probe begin and extend until it enters the Mars field, and contact with the probe is made from two to three times a week, followed by the stage The fourth, which will start to enter orbit and end when the navigation team confirms that the probe has entered the capture orbit.
The project pointed out that the fifth stage of the probe’s journey is the “transition to the scientific orbit” that begins after the probe enters its orbit around Mars, and includes several maneuvers to move to the last orbit, while the sixth and final phase relates to the “scientific orbit”, during which the probe continues For a full Martian year (687 Earth days), which can be increased, during which the planned scientific data is captured.
120
A degree by the diameter of the globe, the distance separating each center from the other.
The three call centers represent the so-called "Deep Space Surveillance Network".
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