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Radiometric Navigation

Measuring a spacecraft's distance and velocity from its radio signal — range from the round-trip signal time, and line-of-sight velocity from the Doppler shift. Combined over time from the ground stations, these fix a spacecraft's trajectory across the Solar System.

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

  • NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics

    Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.