Ground-based VLBI observations for planetary missions

Ground-based radio astronomy and space science get together in the Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE), which provides the precise determination of the lateral position of spacecraft on the celestial sphere using phase referencing near-field Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). This technique, complementary to on-board radio science experiments, has been selected as an experiment of the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE), the forthcoming ESA's flagship mission to the Jupiter system. In this contribution, we will present the PRIDE capabilities by showing recent VLBI observations of ESA and NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars. We will also address those areas of spacecraft mission science objectives that require accurate estimation of the spacecraft state vector, and therefore smooth coordination between space agencies and ground-based facilities.