4 ms·
The downlink is actually 1kbps, with 2kbps optional, by using both amplifiers with opposite circular polarizations. But they can't use that trick all the time.
by rootbear 11y ago
The downlink is actually 1kbps, with 2kbps optional, by using both amplifiers with opposite circular polarizations. But they can't use that trick all the time. A nice article with more technical details is at http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/01300800-talking-to-pluto-is-hard.html http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/0130080...
- dang 11y agoOk, since the consensus in the thread is that the submitted article (http://gizmodo.com/why-itll-take-new-horizons-16-months-to-send-us-this-we-1717769317 http://gizmodo.com/why-itll-take-new-horizons-16-months-to-s...) wasn't very good, let's try switching to that one.
- mikeash 11y agoGreat article. And for anyone who didn't see it, to call this mode "optional" is putting it extremely mildly: to get enough power to run both amplifiers at once, they have to shut down the spacecraft's guidance system (!) and keep it pointed at Earth by using the thrusters to spin it up like a top. And this whole crazy scheme was developed after launch.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]