High-accuracy same-beam VLBI observations using Shanghai and Urumqi telescopes

• Published in: Science China. Physics, mechanics & astronomy mechanics & astronomy, 2009-12, Vol.52 (12), p.1858-1866
• Main Authors: Liu, QingHui, Shi, Xian, Kikuchi, Fuyuhiko, Huang, Qian, Kamata, Shun’ichi, Matsumoto, Koji, Hanada, Hideo, Hong, XiaoYu, Yu, AiLi, Ping, JingSong, Fan, QingYuan, Xia, Bo, An, Tao, Qian, ZhiHan, Yang, WenJun, Zhang, Hua, Wang, Zhen, Wang, Na
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Astronomy; Classical and Continuum Physics; delay; determination; differential; Mars missions; Observations and Techniques; orbit; Orbit determination; phase; Phobos; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; precise; same-beam; Separation; Small satellites; Spacecraft; Superhigh frequencies; Telescopes; VLBI
• ISSN: 1674-7348; 1672-1799; 1869-1927; 1862-2844
• DOI: 10.1007/s11433-009-0280-1

The same-beam VLBI observations of Rstar and Vstar,which were two small satellites of Japanese lunar mission,SELENE,were successfully performed by using Shanghai and Urumqi 25-m telescopes. When the separation angle between Rstar and Vstar was less than 0.1 deg,the differential phase delay of the X-band signals between Rstar and Vstar on Shanghai-Urumqi baseline was obtained with a very small error of 0.15 mm rms,which was reduced by 1-2 order compared with the former VLBI results. When the separation angle was less than 0.56 deg,the differential phase delay of the S-band signals was also obtained with a very small error of several mm rms. The orbit determination for Rstar and Vstar was performed,and the accuracy was improved to a level of several meters by using VLBI and Doppler data. The high-accuracy same-beam differential VLBI technique is very useful in orbit determination for a spacecraft,and will be used in orbit determination for Mars missions of China Yinghuo-1 and Russia Phobos-grunt.