Earth-Based Radio Tracking of the Galileo Probe for Jupiter Wind Estimation
Although the Galileo probe was designed to communicate only to the orbiter, the probe radio signal was detected at two Earth-based radio observatories where the signal was a billion times weaker. The measured signal frequency was used to derive a vertical profile of the jovian zonal wind speed. Due to the mission geometry, the Earth-based wind estimates are less sensitive to descent trajectory errors than estimates based on probe-orbiter Doppler measurements. The two estimates of wind profiles agree qualitatively; both show high wind speeds at all depths sampled.
Folkner
WM
W. M. Folkner, R. A. Preston, J. S. Border, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA. J. Navarro, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM, 87801 USA. W. E. Wilson and M. Oestreich, CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, Epping, New South Wales, Australia.
Preston
RA
Border
JS
Navarro
J
Wilson
WE
Oestreich
M