Projects / Past Projects

Space Technology [back]

ROSETTA USO [back]

Rosetta Ultra Stable Oscillator		For Radio Science Investigation (RSI) Experiment on-board the deep space mission ROSETTA to comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (nucleus science study): Manufacturing, test and integration of an ultra stable oscillator including system test support with extreme care to phase stability and phase noise characteristics. Comet encounter planned for November 2014.

VeRa Venus Orbiter USO [back]

VeRa Venus Orbiter USO		The developed, manufactured and qualified USO design for ROSETTA Mission (see above), has been modified and adopted for the Venus Radio Science Experiment (VeRa). The VeRa USO was launched on board the Venus Express Mission in November 2005. Venus orbit insertion on April 1st, 2006.
VeRa USO Check-out Equipment
		VeRa FM vibration test preparation

Global Transmission Services (GTS) [back]

Electronic of GTS antenna GTS antenna mounted at service module at ISS		Global Transmission Services (GTS) for transferring radio signals from the International Space Station (ISS): The antenna system was manufactured, integrated and tested by TimeTech GmbH on-board the ISS service module in December 2000. In 1999 / 2000 transmitter and receiver hardware was delivered and has been uploaded to ISS in August 2001. The universal signal generator developed for the GTS flight unit is used as the signal source of the high-speed data link (HSDL). The generator features a digital pulse shaping filter with 8 symbols filter-depth and 10 times oversampling for generation of the square-root raised cosine shaped pulses with roll-off = 0.4. Further features are a build-in data-scrambler, a convolutional encoder and a PN-code generator. For the same GTS project TimeTech GmbH manufactured an ultra stable oscillator (USO), which is part of the GTS flight hardware.

ACES Microwave Link (MWL) [back]

ACES Microwave Link (MWL) System Study and Flight Hardware Development

ACES Phase A and B were successfully been accomplished by TimeTech GmbH. The project is presently in its C/D Phase. This phase includes design, development, manufacturing, test, calibration and in-orbit commissioning of the ACES Microwave Link (MWL) system.

The MWL system consists of a Flight Segment and associated antennas (MWL-FS). It will be installed on the ACES Express pallet aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and the Ground Terminal with a small steerable dish antenna (MWL-GT). Installation on a worldwide basis at major time & frequency laboratories participating in the ACES experiment programme is planned.

Schematic

At times of visibility, the flight and the ground terminal communicate by coded microwave signals in the GHz region (S-band, 2 GHz and Ku-band, 15 GHz) to exchange highly stable carrier signals for comparing the output signal received from the ACES space clocks (PHARAO and SHM, controlled by the FCDP unit) with the most precise frequency standards on ground, operated, e.g. at LPTF, NIST, PTB etc. These carrier phase measurements shall determine the frequency stability of the space clock(s) with unprecedented accuracy.

ACES EM Frequency Distribution and Comparison Package (FCDP)

ACES Microwave Link (MWL) & Frequency Distribution and Comparison (FCDP)

TimeTech is responsible for the system architecture, for the detailed design and for proto-typing of the ACES Microwave Link (MWL) including the system’s Ground Terminals as well as for the Frequency Distribution and Comparison Package (FCDP).

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