Cassini Huygens mission : the exploration of the Saturn system. Radio science experiments : Radio Frequency Instrument Subsystem

Many of the Cassini radio science experiments will require very stable microwave signals from the ground station that are transponded phase coherently on board the spacecraft. The Radio Frequency Instrument Subsystem is designed to provide this latter capability with high performance downlink signals at S-band and Ka-band. The signal level and phase change at both frequencies will be monitored during the seven-year interplanetary cruise in an intensive search for gravitational waves. The radio science investigations during the four-year Cassini exploration of the Saturn system will provide detailed information on ring structure, atmospheric characteristics, planetary masses and gravity fields. This paper describes the subsystem design and highlights the hardware performance.