Before proceeding further, the nomenclature used within the handbook will be briefly described.
An observation is a single continuous event, usually lasting
for between 1
3 orbits.
An experiment is one or more observations of a single source at a single frequency within a single proposal. Experiment codes of five characters are used in naming GRT related files. For experiments with multiple epochs (i.e. multiple observations) the six character observation code is sometimes used.
A tracking pass is a single continuous occasion in which the two-way link is established between a single GTS and the space radio telescope (SRT). An observation consists of a number of tracking passes.
Ku-band telemetry is the real-time link between the GTS and the SRT. The up-link frequency is 15.3GHz, and downlink is 14.2GHz.
S-band telemetry is conducted between the Kagoshima Space Center (JKSC) and the SRT. Commanding is done at the uplink frequency of 2.1GHz, and housekeeping telemetry (and range and range-rate monitoring) at the down-link frequency of 2.3GHz.