Work

Radio wave propagation through a characterized CO2 plasma flow

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The high levels of ionization of the plasma layer created around a spacecraft during the reentry in planetary atmospheres can cause disruption of the communications, leading to a radio blackout phenomenon. The entry, descending and landing phase of a Mars mission includes degradation and complete loss of the signal for a few minutes. This work, as part of the Horizon 2020 Magnetohydrodynamics Enhanced Entry System for Space Transportation (MEESST) project, presents experimental measurements of radio signal propagation for the first time through a stagnant flow of a CO 2 plasma, representative of Mars entry flows. The measurements are conducted at the VKI plasma wind tunnel, the Plasmatron facility, using conical horn antennas at the K a -band, transmitting inside an optimally designed probe. The probe designed at VKI and its characterization at the UPC anechoic chamber are detailed. The temperature of the plasma flow is measured by means of optical emission spectroscopy, to estimate the plasma frequency and to correlate it with the experimental signal propagation results. The measurements at the plasma wind tunnel show that the signal propagates almost undisturbed for low electric powers (and plasma frequencies), being its magnitude attenuated and its polarization rotated at higher electric powers, when the electron number densities are higher.

Source: Aerospace Science and Technology

DOI: 10.1016/j.ast.2025.111269

Authors: Diana Felgueiras Luís, Alan Viladegut, Olivier Chazot, Adriano Camps

Institutions: Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, United Arab Emirates University, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya

Language: English

Topic: Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,360