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SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
UNIT I ELEMENTS OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

Satellite Sytems, Orbital Description

Kishore R Assistant Professor/ECE

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Satellite System Elements

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Space Segment
Satellite Launching Phase Transfer Orbit Phase Deployment Operation
TT&C - Tracking Telemetry and Command Station SSC - Satellite Control Center, OCC - Operations Control Center
SCF - Satellite Control Facility

Retirement Phase

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Types of Satellite Stabilization

Spin Stabilization
Satellite is spun about the axis on which the moment of inertia is maximum (ex., HS 376, most purchased commercial communications satellite; first satellite placed in orbit by the Space Shuttle.)

Three-Axis Stabilization
Bias momentum type (ex., INTELSAT V) Zero momentum type (ex., Yuri)

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Satellite Subsystems
Communications
Antennas Transponders

Common Subsystem (Bus Subsystem)

Telemetry/Command (TT&C) Satellite Control (antenna pointing,attitude) Propulsion Electrical Power Structure Thermal Control

Ground Segment
Collection of facilities, Users and Applications

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Earth Station = Satellite Communication Station (Fixed or Mobile)

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Satellite Uplink and Downlink

Downlink
The link from a satellite down to one or more ground stations or receivers

Uplink
The link from a ground station up to a satellite.

Some companies sell uplink and downlink services to

television stations, corporations, and to other telecommunication carriers. A company can specialize in providing uplinks, downlinks, or both.

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Satellite Uplink and Downlink

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Satellite Communication
When using a satellite for long distance communications, the satellite acts as a repeater. An earth station transmits the signal up to the satellite (uplink), which in turn retransmits it to the receiving earth station (downlink). Different frequencies are used for uplink/downlink.

Source: Cryptome [Cryptome.org]

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Satellite Transmission Links

Earth stations Communicate by sending signals to the satellite on an uplink The satellite then repeats those signals on a downlink The broadcast nature of downlink makes it attractive for services such as the distribution of TV programs

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Direct to User Services

One way Service (Broadcasting)

Two way Service (Communication)

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Basic Principles
Satellite

Uplink Earth Station

Downlink Earth Station

Tx

Source Information

Output Information

Rx

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Signals
Signals:
Carried by wires as voltage or current Transmitted through space as electromagnetic waves. Analog:
Voltage or Current proportional to signal; e.g., Telephone.

Digital: Generated by computers. Ex. Binary = 1 or 0 corresponding to +1V or 1V.

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Separating Signals
Up and Down:
FDD: Frequency Division Duplexing.
f1 = Uplink f2 = Downlink

TDD: Time Division Duplexing.

t1=Up, t2=Down, t3=Up, t4=Down,.

Polarization
V & H linear polarization RH & LH circular polarizations

Separating Signals
(so that many transmitters can use the same transponder simultaneously)

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Between Users or Channels (Multiple Access):

FDMA: Frequency Division Multiple Access; assigns each transmitter its own carrier frequency
f1 = User 1; f2 = User 2; f3 = User 3,

TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access; each transmitter is given its own time slot
t1=User_1, t2=User_2, t3=User_3, t4 = User_1, ...

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access; each transmitter transmits simultaneously and at the same frequency and each transmission is modulated by its own pseudo randomly coded bit stream
Code 1 = User 1; Code 2 = User 2; Code 3 = User 3

Digital Communication System

TRANSMITTER Source Data Source Coding Channel Coding Modulator

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RF Channel Output Data Source Decoding Channel Decoder Demodulator

RECEIVER

Parameters Determining Orbit Size and Shape

Parameter Definition

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Semimajor Axis

Half the distance between the two points in the orbit that are farthest apart

Apogee/Perigee Radius

Measured from the center of the Earth to the points of maximum and minimum radius in the orbit

Apogee/Perigee Altitude

Measured from the "surface" of the Earth (a theoretical sphere with a radius equal to the equatorial radius of the Earth) to the points of maximum and minimum radius in the orbit

Period

The duration of one orbit, based on assumed two-body motion

Mean Motion

The number of orbits per solar day (86,400 sec/24 hour), based on assumed two-body motion

Eccentricity

The shape of the ellipse comprising the orbit, ranging between a perfect circle (eccentricity = 0) and a parabola (eccentricity = 1)

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Orientation of Orbital Plane in Space

Parameter Definition

Inclination

The angle between the orbital plane and the Earth's equatorial plane (commonly used as a reference plane for Earth satellites)

Right Ascension of the Ascending Node

The angle in the Earth's equatorial plane measured eastward from the vernal equinox to the ascending node of the orbit

Argument of Perigee

The angle, in the plane of the satellite's orbit, between the ascending node and the perigee of the orbit, measured in the direction of the satellite's motion

Longitude of the Ascending Node

The Earth-fixed longitude of the ascending node

The ascending node (referenced in three of the above definitions) is the point in the satellite's orbit where it crosses the Earth's equatorial plane going from south to north.

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Parameters determining orbit orientation

Satellite Location parameters To specify the satellite's location within its orbit at epoch.

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Parameter

Definition

True Anomaly

The angle from the eccentricity vector (points toward perigee) to the satellite position vector, measured in the direction of satellite motion and in the orbit plane.

Mean Anomaly

The angle from the eccentricity vector to a position vector where the satellite would be if it were always moving at its angular rate.

Eccentric Anomaly

An angle measured with an origin at the center of an ellipse from the direction of perigee to a point on a circumscribing circle from which a line perpendicular to the semimajor axis intersects the position of the satellite on the ellipse.

Argument of Latitude

The sum of the True Anomaly and the Argument of Perigee.

Time Past Ascending Node

The elapsed time since the last ascending node crossing.

Time Past Perigee

The elapsed time since last perigee passage.

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Parameters determining satellite position

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Orbital Velocities and Periods

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Thank you