Title: Recent Discoveries in Planetary Science via Radio Science Techniques Using Deep 
Space Network as a Joint Venture

Abstract:
NASA’ Deep Space Network (DSN) enables the success of deep space planetary missions 
with state-of-the art telecommunications technology.  It is also a world-class instrument for 
Radio Science research where signals from distant spacecraft are received via precision 
instrumentation and examined for modifications due to the environment at the target planet.  
Radio Science experiments are a joint venture between planetary missions and ground stations, 
two ends of a coherent instrumentation system for precision measurements.  The radio links 
used to communicate information between spacecraft and ground stations are altered in their 
characteristics between the times of transmission and reception.  Effects such as the Doppler 
shift associated with the Earth rotation, spacecraft motion, gravitational and non-gravitational 
forces, and relativistic effects contribute to the perturbation of the properties of the 
electromagnetic waves, as do the propagation effects in the proximity of planetary atmosphere, 
rings, solar corona, and interplanetary plasma.  Planetary interiors, surfaces, atmospheres, and 
rings have been investigated and characterized, along with precision measurements exploring 
the sun and aspects of fundamental physics.  Over the last five decades, this research, known 
as radio science, has advanced to become a prime component of most deep space missions.  
Recently, significant discoveries have been made especially with the Cassini mission revealing 
liquid layers of water in the interiors of Titan and Enceladus, as well as investigations of the 
surface of Titan and rings of Cassini using this joint venture.

Co-authors:
Joe Lazio