Radiometeorological forecasts for satellite links operations: validation with measurements from BepiColombo mission

This work describes the experimental validation of a radio-meteorological forecasts operative model chain: the first weather-forecast-driven tool for the optimization of Ka-band satellite links for deep-space missions. The proposed model has the capability to provide daily forecast statistics of the radiopropagation variables (i.e., atmospheric attenuation and brightness temperature) customized on the specific transmission day, thus allowing dynamic link optimization. The radio-meteorological operative chain is tested with two different global-scale data for the model-chain initialization (i.e., the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, ECMWF, and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, NCEP). The results are compared with the optimization performed with standard ITU-R annual statistics and with the link data collected during the operations of the BepiColombo ESA mission to Mercury. The results confirm the great advantage (in terms of received data-volume) deriving from the use of the radio-meteorological operative chain for the optimization of the satellite link, confirming the theoretical estimation provided by feasibility and design studies.