IGN Website ILRS Technical Workshop 2019. Stuttgart 21th-25th October

B. Vaquero Jiménez, J.A. López Pérez, J.A. López Fernández, P. de Vicente

Yebes Observatory, Technology Development Center. Instituto Geográfico Nacional (Spain)

Yebes Laser Ranging Station (YLARA)

Development Status 2019

YEBES OBSERVATORY OVERVIEW

CORE SITE STATUS - AVAILABLE TECHNIQUES

YLARA –CATEGORY TREE

Seven pillars for instrument installation and

intercomparisons

Two absolute gravimeters (A10 & FG5)

OSG Superconducting gravimeter (Feb - 2012)

Participation in IGETS - International

Geodynamics and Earth tide Service

One SILEX Accelerometer

Gravimetry pavilion 13.2 m VGOS Radio Telescope

Local tie

Main building,

laboratories and

workshops

Meteo station

40 m Radio Telescope

Hydrogen masers

13.2 m VGOS

Radio Telescope

14 m RT

Outreach pavillion

Anechoic Chamber

Solar TowerGravimetry

Astrograph

Madrid (80 km)

Local tie (20 pillars)

GNSS Receivers (2)

Broadband Receiver (from 2 to 14 GHz)

• Dual lineal polarization, noise temperature under 25 K

• Using a quadruple-ridged flared horn (QRFH) from Caltech

• Installed in February 2016 for VGOS Broadband observations

Yebes Low Noise Amplifiers: broadband for VGOS

Signal conditioning modules for backends (Yebes design)

Phase and noise calibration modules (Yebes design)

GNSS Receivers

Spanish Network ERGNSS

13.2 m RT

BB Rx

EUREF Permanent Network

The complete network is composed by 24 vertex including

on it the radio telescopes and the GNSS antennas.

Pillars are made of concrete and iron and compose by a 30

cm diameter cylinder inside a protector tube

Network accuracy below 1 mm

YLARA OBJECTIVES AND BASIC DESIGN

Yebes Observatory is one of the Singular Scientific and

Technological Infrastructures (ICTS) in Spain, and the only one in

the Castilla-La Mancha Region

⇒ ERDF Funds, Operational Programme

Smart Growth 2014-2020 - Ministry

of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of

Spain (FICTS1420-11-12)

⇒ Operation: Development Infrastructures and

Laboratory Activities for Space Geodesy at Yebes

Observatory (YDALGO)

Main Objective: Observations to satellites equipped with retro-reflectors (mainly geodetic satellites and GNSS),

turning Yebes Observatory into a Geodetic Fundamental Station

ERDF FUNDS – ICTS INFRASTRUCTURES

YLARA station working plan 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Building and site infrastructures X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Telescope system and dome X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Time and frequency subsystems X X X X X X X X X

Security systems and sky monitoring X X X X X X X X X

Optical Subsystem (laser, detector, etc.) X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Measurement System (RGG, ET, etc.) X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Software package and control systems X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

System Engineering,

Integration and Commissioning X X X X X X X X X X X X

Technical and Scientific Management

and Quality Assurance X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Promotion X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Staff (2 engineers) X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Location

Yebes Observatory, Guadalajara

• 3.08°W/40.52°N

• 915 m height, good sky visibility

• Humidity ≤70%

• Mean of average speed 5.8 km/h

• Mean of maximum speed 32 km/h

• Near the main road ⇨ easy access

• Near offices and laboratories buildings Future YLARA Station Location

General requirements

Tracking requirements

• Satellites observations from 300 –

42.000 km (night and day)

• Fulfilling GGOS requirements

• Fulfilling ILRS Pass Performance

Standard

• Modular and flexible design

Local tie integration

• Invariant point AZ/EL intersection

• Network extrapolation <1 mm

• 2 new pillars

Other applications / Improvements

• Space debris observations

YLARA-Yebes Laser Ranging

Technical Characteristics

YLARA-0000

General requirements

YLARA-GP-0000

Tracking requirements

YLARA-GP-1000

Local tie network integration

YLARA-GP-2000

Other applications

YLARA-GP-3000

Space debris observations

YLARA-GP-3100

Laser communications

YLARA-GP-3200

Basic subsystems

YLARA-BS-0000

Telescope and mount

YLARA-BS-1000

Dome

YLARA-BS-2000

Time and frequency system

YLARA-BS-3000

Sky security and station safety

YLARA-BS-4000

Meteorological sensors

YLARA-BS-5000

Auxiliary HW

YLARA-BS-6000

Laser subsystems

YLARA-0000

Transmitting laser system

YLARA-LS-1000

Detection package

YLARA-LS-2000

Calibration system

YLARA-LS-3000

Range Gate Generator

YLARA-LS-4000

Event timer

YLARA-LS-5000

Laser safety

YLARA-LS-6000

Auxiliary HW

YLARA-LS-7000

Station Control and Software

YLARA-0000

General requirements

YLARA-SW-1000

Semi-autonomous operation

YLARA-SW-2000

HW

YLARA-SW-3000

Site infrastructure

YLARA-SI-0000

Building

YLARA-SI-1000

Foundations and piers

YLARA-SI-2000

Electrical power station

YLARA-SI-3000

Geotechnical drillings

YLARA-SI-4000

Power, water and data connections

YLARA-SI-5000

Site infrastructure

Building

• 75-110 m2

• Control and Coudé/laser room,

AC/electricity room, toilet, warehouse

space, dome access, roof access

Foundations and piers

• Isolated from the building

• Anchored to bedrock

• For the telescope mount and optical

benches

• Free inner space for Coudé path

elements and access

Electrical power station: 230/400 VAC, 50

Hz, SAI included, AC system

Geotechnical drilling has been performed

Power, water and data connections

available

Station Control and Software

General requirements

• Command and control of all station

hardware and security components in

real-time.

• Ability to support a wide range of

hardware types and configurations:

telescope, laser, range gate, detectors,

dome, weather station, security systems,

time and frequency systems...

• Intuitive user interface to monitor and

perform all SLR operations.

• Possibility of introducing easily new

modules and functionalities. Ability to

extend the software in a future to carry

out completely automatic observations

and for the realization of observations

of space debris.

Semi-autonomous operation of the SLR

station

Laser subsystems

Transmitting laser system

• Repetition rate ≥ 1000 Hz (adjustable)

• Pulse width < 25 ps

• Wavelength 532/1064 nm (Nd:YAG – Nd:Van)

• Energy 0.5 - 5 mJ

• Adapted optic to 532 and 1064 nm (laser wavelengths)

Detection package

• CSPAD (QE 30%), telescope location

• CCD Camera

• Flexible to add other detectors

• Field of View 10-60”

• Daylight filter bandwidth 0.15-0.5 nm

Calibration system: accuracy < 1mm

Range Gate Generator: 50-1000 ns width

Event timer: Riga A033-ET/USB.

• Resolution 3-4 ps / Precision ≈ 5 ps

Laser safety: glasses, warning signs, secure windows and doors,

warning lights, SW and HW on/off control, etc.

Basic Subsystems

Telescope and mount

• Biaxial telescope, AZ-EL mount, several foci

• Receiving system 50-80 cm

• Transmitting system 7-15 cm

• Beam pointing accuracy 1-5’’

• High slew rate

• Minimum tracking elevation 10º - 15º

• Two possible configurations: Coudé path and

piggyback solution

Dome

• 4-6 m diameter

• Slit-type

Time and frequency system: H-Maser (EFOS_C,

T4 Science SA), GNSS Synchronization system

(Meinberg Lantime M3000)

Sky security and station safety: Radarcape ADS-

B, FLARM AT-1 receiver, OMEA-8C all sky

camera, Boltwood could sensor

Meteorological sensors: temperature, humidity

and pressure sensors, rain detector, pyranometer,

etc.

Riga ET and Lantime M3000

Sky security (aircraft detection) and station safety