| Astrophysics (Index) | About |
The phrase radio science is used in descriptions of planetary probes and their instruments that use radio to gain information about the target. This includes use of radar for scientific investigation but also includes uses of radio that don't fit the term. Examples include recording data about the characteristics of radio signal sent and received in point to point transmission (e.g., sent between the probe and another spacecraft or Earth), characteristics such as the signal timing, signal strength, and polarization. This data is analyzed for yielding details regarding the gravity of the target objects, and the precise positions of the probe and target objects, thus their orbits. Examples:
Often such radio science merely consists of using the probe's communications radio equipment for such scientific experiments, i.e., making additional use of the radio equipment already on board for operating the spacecraft and transferring the data back to Earth.
Radio science also has the obvious meanings, such as "the science of radio waves" or "the science of radio astronomy", but within descriptions of planetary-science space probes, the above-described meaning is likely.