Satellite Communications
PRINCIPLE OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
Chapter One
Lecture 1
By Asst. lec. Marwa Mohammed
1
History of satellite communications
• First satellite – Sputnik I in 1957, launched by USSR.
(Russians)
• First satellite communications – Project Score, Dec 1958.
Transmitted a 4 minute recording of US President Eisenhower.
• The first regular satellite communications service was used by
the Navy in 1960.
• Military satellite communications technology was at a low level
until 1965
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Fundamentals satellite communications system
The two types of communications satellite you will study :
1. ACTIVE satellite acts as a REPEATER by amplifies signals received
and then retransmits them back to earth.
2. PASSIVEA satellite only reflects received radio signals back to earth
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• A typical operational link involves an active satellite and two or more
earth terminals.
• One station transmits to the satellite on a frequency called the UP-
LINK frequency.
• The satellite then amplifies the signal, converts it to the DOWN-LINK
frequency, and transmits it back to earth. The signal is next picked up
by the receiving terminal.
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Communication between two earth stations via a satellite.
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Definition
• A practical satellite comprises several individual chains of equipment
called a transponder: a term derived from transmitter and responder.
Transponders can channel the satellite capacity both in frequency and
in power.
• The satellite can be rotated around the earth through various paths.
These paths are called Orbits of the satellite.
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Orbit Heights
• Geostationary Orbits (GEO) – at the special height of
36000km. The orbital period is 24 hours, so they remain
stationary relative to the Earth’s surface (most existing
communication satellites – three to cover the entire surface of
the Earth)
• Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – orbital heights of 500-2000km. Can
be much smaller and cheaper, but need many to provide
continual coverage (Iridium used 66 at altitude of 780km)
• Medium Earth Orbits (MEO) – altitudes of 5000-12000km.
(Odyssey system used 12 satellites at 10370km for complete
global coverage)
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Satellite Communications -GEO
• Most successful satellite communications have been GEO
• Altitude of 35786km, period of 24 hours
• Fixed location relative to Earth, so no complex tracking by Earth
stations
• Link distance is 38500km typically – hence received signals are very
weak
• Require large Earth station antennae (‘satellite dish’), but over time
satellites have become more powerful - > VSAT (very small aperture
terminals)
• Use frequencies in the range 1-50GHz
• Issues – distance (weak signal), time delay (~0.5s), polar regions not
covered Asst. lec. Marwa Mohammed 8
• A non-GEO is termed to the orbits that are below a mean altitude of
about 36,000 km have periods of revolution shorter than 24 hours so the
Iridium system uses multiple satellites to provide continuous coverage of
a given region of the Earth because the satellites appear to move past a
point on the Earth.
• Advantage of a non-GEO satellite network:
range to the user is shorter; hence, the less
radiated power is required and the propagation
delay is reduced as well.
Note that Satellites designed to last only about 15 years in orbit
because of the practical inability to service a satellite in GEO
and other staff like (fuel, battery cells, and degraded or failed components)
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Q: What are the big different
between
the GEO and NON GEO
in general
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Satellite Communications - today
• Today there are nearly 200 GEO satellites in operation
• Satellite systems dominate the international long distance telephone,
and the TV broadcasting markets
• These satellites are built as transponders – to relay the signals from
the Earth back to Earth
• Satellite systems were never able to be competitive in the Mobile
Cellular market (‘satellite base-stations’)
• Another major satellite system is the GPS (Global Positioning
System)
• There are other satellite systems.
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Types of A satellite Orbits Satellite Orbits
Type of Orbit
Circular
Elliptical
Plane of Orbit
Equatorial
Polar
Inclined In brief
Altitude of the orbit Geostationary Satellites (GEO)
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
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Orbit Descriptions
Orbits generally are described according to the:
1. Physical shape of the orbit as shown in fig.:
• PERIGEE is the point in the orbit nearest to the center of the earth
• APOGEE is the point in the orbit the greatest distance from the center of
the earth
Note: The shape of the orbit is determined by the initial launch parameters.
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2. Angle of inclination of the plane of the orbit as shown in fig.:
It is the angle between the equatorial plane of the earth and the orbital plane of the
satellite
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The inclination of the orbit determines the area covered by the path of the
satellite, as shown in fig. the greater the inclination, the greater the amount of
surface area covered by the satellite.
Figure 1-7. - Effect of orbit plane inclination on satellite coverage.
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Special Types of Inclined Orbits.
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Special Types of Inclined Orbits.
• A satellite orbiting in a plane that coincides with the equatorial plane of the earth is
in an EQUATORIAL ORBIT.
• A satellite orbiting in an inclined orbit with an angle of inclination of 90 degrees or
near 90 degrees is in a POLAR ORBIT
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