2. Design Specifications

The goal is to build a radio observatory that makes continuous measurements of the spectrum between 1.000-4.000 GHz. This data must be relayed back to earth without loss through one or more satellites in a communication network. The moon-based dish will have a diameter of 300 m, an aperture effciency of 0.90, and a receiver with TSYS = 20 K. It will be constructed in the crater Daedalus and will operate in a manner similar to the earth-based radio astronomical observatory at Arecibo in Puerto Rico.

Operating frequencies of the return data link to earth are to be chosen out of the 1.40-1.43 GHz, 4.9-5.0 GHz, 10.6-10.7 GHz, and 15.3-15.4 GHz frequency spectrums which would interfere with radio telescopes on the Earth.

• 2. Design Specifications