Uvplot is a program that has been designed to calculate the -
coverage obtained by a satellite observing with a specifed VLBI ground network.
The initial screen presented to the user includes a number of input parameters,
a blank graphics area (where the plot of
tracks will appear) and a
message bar along the bottom. Input parameters include the orbit parameters as
well as the source position, the start and stop times, the date, and the
observation frequency. Uvplot takes into account the various restrictions
and constraints which determine when the satellite can point at the chosen
source. Although the program is quite general in the way it performs its
calculations, the initial parameters in the input files that specify the
on-board pointing restrictions have be set for the Radioastron satellite.
This program displays the -
coverage plot to the video terminal and also
provides a record of the rotation of the satellite required to meet the
pointing restrictions during the course of its orbit. In addition to these
features it also optionally displays a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) plot based
on a simple source model, which is specified by the user, and a plot of the
visibility of the source from the ground VLBI stations versus time.