®®®® SIIA Público

Título del libro:
Título del capítulo: The K-Band Mexican Radio Telescope

Autores UNAM:
ENRIQUE COLORADO ORTIZ; FELIX DIAZ SANTOS; STANLEY EUGENE KURTZ SMITH; DAVID SALOME HIRIART GARCIA; LUIS TOMAS CALVARIO VELASQUEZ; HAZAEL SERRANO GUERRERO;
Autores externos:

Idioma:

Año de publicación:
2024
Palabras clave:

C (programming language); Gain measurement; Photogrammetry; Rock drills; Angular frontend web interface; Earth stations; Mexican radio astronomy; PLC altazimuth control; Python backend control; Remote system operation; Remote systems; Systems operation; Telecommunication antenna; Telecommunication antenna conversion; Tulancingo earth station; Web interface; Radio telescopes


Resumen:

This paper outlines the transformation of a decommissioned 32-meter communication antenna in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico, into the K-Band capable Tulancingo-I radio telescope. We summarize the evaluation of the antenna, originally designed for C-band frequencies, for its potential use in the K-band after a decade of disuse. Our assessment includes the refurbishment steps required to operationalize the antenna, such as lubrication system renewal, pump overhauls, and the installation of modern motion encoders and controllers. We detail the precision measurements conducted by the Large Millimeter Telescope's metrology group, utilizing laser tracking and photogrammetry to ascertain the antenna's suitability for K-band applications. Additionally, we discuss the implementation of a new control system using state-of-the-art PLC and encoder technology, enabling fully remote operations through a web-based user interface developed in Angular and a Python backend for telescope control. This project showcases the feasibility of repurposing legacy communication infrastructure for cutting-edge astronomical research. © 2024 SPIE.


Entidades citadas de la UNAM: