The Odin satellite - I. Radiometer design and test (original) (raw)

A&A 402, L27-L34 (2003)

Letter to the Editor

I. Radiometer design and test

1, M. Hagström2, J. Ala-Laurinaho3, S. Andersson4, J.-C. Berges5, J.-P. Chabaud6,7, M. Dahlgren2, A. Emrich4, H.-G. Florén8, G. Florin1, M. Fredrixon2, T. Gaier9, R. Haas10, T. Hirvonen3, Å. Hjalmarsson2, B. Jakobsson1, P. Jukkala11, P. S. Kildal12, E. Kollberg12, J. Lassing12, A. Lecacheux13, P. Lehikoinen3, A. Lehto3, J. Mallat3, C. Marty6, D. Michet13, J. Narbonne6, M. Nexon6, M. Olberg2, A. O. H. Olofsson2, G. Olofsson8, A. Origné5, M. Petersson14, P. Piironen3, R. Pons6, D. Pouliquen5, I. Ristorcelli6, C. Rosolen13, G. Rouaix6, A. V. Räisänen3, G. Serra6,7, F. Sjöberg1, L. Stenmark15, S. Torchinsky16, J. Tuovinen3, C. Ullberg15, E. Vinterhav1, N. Wadefalk12, H. Zirath12, P. Zimmermann17 and R. Zimmermann17

1 Swedish Space Corporation, Box 4207, 171 04 Solna, Sweden
2 Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, 439 92 Onsala, Sweden
3 Helsinki University of Technology, Radio Laboratory, PO Box 3000, 02015 HUT, Espoo, Finland
4 Omnisys Instruments, Gruvgatan 8, 421 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
5 Observatoire Astronomique Marseille Provence, LAM, CNRS, Traverse du Siphon, BP 8, 13376 Marseille Cedex 12, France
6 Centre d'Étude Spatiale des Rayonnements, CNRS, 9 avenue du Colonel Roche, 31028 Toulouse, France
7 We regret the deaths of Guy Serra in 2000 and of Jean-Paul Chabaud in 2001
8 Stockholm Observatory, SCFAB, Roslagstullsbacklen 21, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
9 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, USA
10 TRW, M5/2154, 1 Space Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, USA
11 Ylinen Electronics Ltd, Teollisuustie 9 A, 02700 Kauniainen, Finland
12 Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
13 Observatoire de Paris, Département ARPEGES, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France
14 Saab Ericsson Space, 405 15 Gothenburg, Sweden
15 ACR, Redskapsvägen 7, 619 00 Trosa, Sweden
16 Canadian Space Agency, PO Box 7275, Ottawa, Ontario K1L 8E3, Canada
17 Radiometer Physics, Birkenmaarstrasse 15, 5309 Meckenheim, Germany

Corresponding author: U. Frisk, urban.frisk@ssc.se

Received: 6 December 2002
Accepted: 2 March 2003

Abstract

The Sub-millimetre and Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) is the main instrument on the Swedish, Canadian, Finnish and French spacecraft Odin. It consists of a 1.1 metre diameter telescope with four tuneable heterodyne receivers covering the ranges 486-504 GHz and 541-581 GHz, and one fixed at 118.75 GHz together with backends that provide spectral resolution from 150 kHz to 1 MHz. This Letter describes the Odin radiometer, its operation and performance with the data processing and calibration described in Paper II.

Key words: space vehicles / space vehicles: instruments / telescopes / techniques: spectroscopic

*

Odin is a Swedish-led satellite project funded jointly by the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the National Technology Agency of Finland (Tekes) and Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). The Swedish Space Corporation was the prime contractor, and is also responsible for the satellite operation.