Satellite Communications

CCE415

Assoc.Prof / Ahmed A. Ibrahim Lecture 1

• Practical :10

• Mid Term Exam :20

• Final Exams : 50
Lecture outline
 What is satellite communication system?
 Communication satellite frequency bands
 Satellite system architecture (or subsystems)
 Classification of satellite communication systems
What is Satellite communication system?
 It is microwave radio relay line of
sight (LOS) communication link
between two distant or scattered
stations.
 They are too far away to use other
conventional communication means.
 They are widely separated
geographically. The two stations use
satellite as a radio relay station for
their communication provided that
there is line of sight (LOS).
What is Satellite communication system?
What is Satellite communication system?
What is Satellite communication system?
 Every communications satellite
involves the transmission of
information from an earth station
(ES) or ground station (GS) to the
satellite i.e. uplink (UL), followed
by a retransmission of the
information from the satellite back
to an earth station (ES) i.e.
downlink (DL).
Communication Satellite frequency bands
Frequency Band
Application
Range Designation
Mobile Satellite Service (MSS),
1 – 2 GHz L Long-range surveillance, GPS,
mobile phones
MSS, Moderate-range surveillance,
2 – 4 GHz S terminal traffic control, long-range
weather, microwave oven, WLAN
Fixed Satellite System (FSS),
4 – 8 GHz C Long-range tracking, airborne
weather
Short-range tracking, missile
8 – 12 GHz X guidance, mapping, marine radar,
airborne intercept
FSS, Broadcast Satellite Service
12 – 18 GHz Ku
(BSS), High resolution mapping
Satellite comm., Radar, Little used
18 – 26.5 GHz K
(H2O absorption)
Satellite comm.,very high
26.5 – 40 GHz Ka resolution mapping, airport
surveillance
40 – 100+ GHz mm Experimental
Communication Satellite frequency bands
 The most commonly used are:
 6/4 satellite communication link means it operates in C
band and uplink (UL) frequency is 6 GHz and the downlink
(DL) frequency is 4 GHz.
 14/12 satellite communication link means it operates in Ku
band and uplink (UL) frequency is 14 GHz and the
downlink (DL) frequency is 12 GHz.
Satellite system architecture (or subsystems)
 Satellite system consists of two parts:
 Space segment it includes equipment in the space (i.e. the
satellite). In addition to Telemtry Tracking & Command
(TT&C subsystem). Although it is on the ground but it
belongs to space segments.
 Earth segment it includes equipments on the ground. It is
earth station (ES) or ground station (GS) It may be receiver
only or transmitter only, both transmitter and receiver.
Satellite system architecture (or subsystems)
Satellite system architecture (or subsystems)
Satellite system architecture (or subsystems)
 The equipment carried aboard the satellite also can be
classified according to function into: payload and bus
 Payload are equipment used to provide the required service
(communication) for which satellite has been launched
 In communication satellite, the payload includes:
transponder and antenna subsystem
Satellite system architecture (or subsystems)
 Bus are equipment used to provide other functions that
serve the payload.
 The functions required to service the payload include the
following subsystems:
 Electrical power package subsystem
 Station keeping and attitude control subsystem
 Orbital control subsystem
 Thermal control subsystem
 Telemetry track command and control (TT&C)
 Note: altitude is the orientation of transponder with
respect to earth
Classification of satellite communication
systems
Satellite communication systems are classified according to:
1) Orbit height
2) Orbit shape
3) Inclination angle
4) Processing
5) Applications (or services)
6) Earth station (ES) type
7) Earth station (ES) antenna size
8) Coverage
9) Topology (or configurations)
Classification of satellite communication
systems
1) Orbit height
 Satellite communications are classified into 3 types according to
orbit height:
 Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO)
Satellites rotate on an orbit at actually 35860 km (about 36000 km) above the
equator earth surface. The satellite's speed at the same speed as the rotational
speed of the earth on its axis thereby keeping the satellite stationary over a
particular spot on the Earth.
 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
Satellites rotate on orbits at about 10,000 kilometers to 15000 kilometers above
the Earth surface.
 Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Satellites rotate at on orbits at 500 to 1500 kilometers above the Earth surface
Classification of satellite communication
systems
1) Orbit height
Classification of satellite communication
systems
1) Orbit height
Classification of satellite communication
systems
1) Orbit height
Classification of satellite communication
systems
1) Orbit height
Point of
comparison GEO MEO LEO
(P.O.C)
Orbit height
~ 36000 ~ 8000 ~ 1000
(km)
Latency
Medium (~700) Low (~ 150) Very low (~ 50)
(msec)
Earth view Very large Large small
6 satellites
Network size for 3 satellites Thousands of satellites
(96 %
global services (99 % coverage) (100 % coverage)
coverage)
Stationary
Tracking Slow, 1-hour Fast, 10-minutes
antennas
Data gateways Several,
Few, fixed Numerous, local
required flexible
Proven, Proven, Technology still in
Technology
deployable deployable development for satellite
readiness level
technology technology internet
Cost to deploy
1 – 1.5 1.5 5 – 15
network (bn $)
Satellite design
life (replacement 15 12 5–7
cycle) (years)
Classification of satellite communication
systems
2) Orbit shape
 Satellite communications are classified into 2 types
according to orbit shape:
 Circular orbit
Circular with center at earth’s center.
 Elliptical orbit
it is orbit with one foci at earth’s center, usually not
symmetrical with respect to earth circumference
Classification of satellite communication
systems
2) Orbit shape
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle
 Itis the angle between the orbital plane and the equatorial
plane
 Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle
 Satellite communications are classified
into 3 types according to inclination angle:
 Equatorial orbit
 Polar orbit
 Inclined orbit
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle –
Equatorial orbit
 Satellite moves in a plane
directly above the equator and
its inclination angle is zero.
 The equatorial orbit has 0o
inclination from equator.
 The most popular orbit is GEO
orbits which is present at 35786
km from the earth surface.
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle –
Equatorial orbit
 The satellite in GEO orbit
appears to be stationary w.r.t
earth and period of satellite is
23 Hrs, 56 mins, 4 secs means
solar time (ordinary clock time)
 Example: INSAT/GSAT
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle – Polar orbit
 As the satellite moves in a plane passes
through the earth poles, its inclination
angle 90o or near polar i.e., its
inclination angle is close to 90o
 The polar orbiting satellites orbit the
earth in such a way as to cover the north
and south polar regions.
 The altitude of polar orbiting satellite is
constant over the polar region and it is
approximately 1000 km
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle – Polar orbit
 The period of orbiting is about 1.5
Hrs at 90o inclination to ensure that
satellite passes every region of earth
 Example: IRIDIUM, GLOBAL
STAR, etc.
Classification of satellite communication
systems
3) Inclination angle – Inclined orbit
 Satellite moves in a plane has inclination angle between
40o to 80o