Interstellar Communications

The Interstellar Probe mission presents the ambitious challenge of launching a spacecraft for interstellar exploration by 2030. In this paper, a telecommunications system designed for operations up to 1000 AU and 50 year lifetime is presented. The deep space nature of the mission provides its own set of challenges, then compounded by a long lifetime requirement. Typically, essential parts such as mechanical reaction elements and batteries used for spacecraft pointing and communications are not expected to survive until end-of-life. Fortunately, the timeline of the Interstellar Probe mission coincides with an entrance into a golden age of astronomy. Very large radio antennas and arrays currently built and in construction extend our capability for deep space communication, providing an opportunity for collaboration between NASA and the NRAO. Performances of these apertures towards deep space communications are analyzed and prove to be critical in maximizing current capability for interstellar communications. Additionally, increased commercialization of space has led to an advancement in the efficiency of light-weight antenna reflectors, enabling consideration of larger aperture spacecraft antenna while minimizing mass. Capitalizing on these resources, a pragmatic system for interstellar communications based on current and near term capability is presented.