EE418SatelliteCommunication

[DR.ALIHUSSEINMUQAIBEL]

Satellite Communication
Chapter 1: Introduction
Contents
Chapter1:Introduction................................................................................................................................1
1.1Background.........................................................................................................................................1
GEO(GeostationaryEarthOrbit):.........................................................................................................1
LEO(LowEarthOrbit):..........................................................................................................................2
MEO(MediumEarthOrbit):..................................................................................................................2
HEO(HighlyEllipticOrbit).....................................................................................................................2
1.2BriefHistoryofSatelliteCommunications..........................................................................................2
1.3SatelliteCommunicationsin2000......................................................................................................3
1.4OverviewofSatelliteCommunications...............................................................................................3
1.5Summary.............................................................................................................................................3

1.1 Background

Inthemid1800Telegraphcableshadbeenlaidacrosstheocean.
In1945,HFwastheonlymethodfortranscontinentaldistances(notallreliable).
In1953,cablescarryingvoicesignalsacrosstheAtlanticstarted.
C. Clarck suggested in the British Radio Magazine Wireless World 1945 that a radio relay
satelliteinanequatorialorbitwithaperiodof24hwouldremainstationarywithrespectto
earthandcancarrycommunicationsignals.
In1965,thefirststationarysatellite(EarlyBirdalsonamedIntelsatI)provideslongdistance
telephoneservice.LaterliveTVcouldbebroadcastedacrosstheAtlantic.

GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit):

Appeartobestationaryoverafixedpointontheground.
Itcanestablishonethirdoftheearthservice(entirecontinent),24/7operation.
DBSTV (Direct broadcast satellite television): largest single revenue source for GEO
accountingfor$17Bin1998.
By 2001, 200 GEO are in orbit, with satellite every 2o or 3o operating in almost every
availablefrequencyband.
GEOimprovedinweight,size,lifetime,andcostovertheyears.
Example:aGEOcanweigh6000Kgwithcost$125Mwithlifetime15years.Howmuchshould
betheyearlyincometomaketheventureprofitable?
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EE418SatelliteCommunication

Typicalpathlength38,500km,withaltitude35,786km.
Comparefiberopticswithsatellite?

LEO (Low Earth Orbit):

By2000,138LEOsatellitesinorbit.
Inadditiontodataservices,LEOsatellitesareusedforearthimagingandsurveillance.
MEO (Medium Earth Orbit):
GlobalPositioningSystem(GPS),uses24MEOsatellite.
Positioningapplicationsincreasesdramatically.
HEO (Highly Elliptic Orbit)
USSRMolniyaHEO,firstregionalsatellite.

1.2 Brief History of Satellite Communications

SatelliteCommunicationstartedin1957withUSSRlunchingitssatelliteSputnikI.
UnitesstatefollowedwithExplorerI.
The first true communication satellite TelstarI and IIin 19621963.They werebuiltbyBell
LabsandusedCband.Theuplinkwas6389MHzandthedownlinkwas4169MHzwith50
MHzbandwidth.
In 1961, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommended for international
cooperation.
For commercial arrangement Intelsat (the International Telecommunications Satellite
Organization)isestablished.
ComsatmanagedIntelsatwithseriesofSatellites(IntelsatIthroughV).
NationalSatelliteService:

USSRMolniyafirstHEO.

CanadausedGEOfornationalservices.
Indonesiahas3000islandsovermorethanthousandmiles.
In1985,theyexpandedtotheKuband.Then,L,S,C,Ku,K,Ka,V,andQbands.
The spectrum allocations are given in the following approximate ranges, as practiced in the
satelliteindustry:
Band
L
S
C
X
Ku
Ka
Q
V

Start GHz
1.5
2.4
3.4
7.9
10.7
18.0
40
60

End GHz
1.65
2.8
7.0
9.0
15.0
31.0
50
80

Then,videodistributionandVSAT(verysmallapertureterminal)
Otherbandsexpandedin1995,likeKabandanddigitaltraffic.
Formarineapplications(shipsandaircrafts)theInternationalMaritimeSatellite
Organization(Inmarsat)
LEOandMEO(Iridium,Globalstar,andOrbcomm)provedtobeverycostlythananticipated.
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EE418SatelliteCommunication

Iridiumcost$5Bandsoldfor$25M0.5%
GlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)withcost$12B,EuropeisbuildingtheirNavigationSystem
(Gallileo)

1.3 Satellite Communications in 2000

Readthebookandthetablestherein.Forexample:

Organization

Satellites

Types

Transponders

ArabSatellite
Communications
Organization
www.arabsat.com

Arabsat2A
Arabsat2B

Arabsat3A

Broadcasting
Broadcasting,
telecommunications
Broadcasting

22Cband,12Kuband
22Cband,12Kuband

20Kuband

Orbit
Locations
26oE
30.5oE

26oE

Newapplicationsinclude:VSAT/WLL(verysmallapertureterminals/wirelesslocalloop)

1.4 Overview of Satellite Communications

Oneapplicationforsatellitesistobeusedasrepeaters.Arepeaterissimplyareceiverlinked
toatransmitter,alwaysusingdifferentradiofrequenciesthatcanreceiveasignalfromone
earthstation,amplifyitandtransmitittoanotherearthstation.
Discusswhathappenifweincreasethefrequencyband?(Antennasize,propagation,etc)
Applicationsareshiftingtodigitaltelephony,highdefinitiontelevision(HDTV),navigation.
Bandwidthrequirements:therequiredrateaftercompressionfordigitalvoice4.8kbpsand
for video with MPEG2 (Moving Picture Coding Expert Group) compression the rate is 6.2
Mbps.

1.5 Summary
Writeyourownsummaryfortheideasinthischapter(asummaryismainlyusefultotheonewho
madeit!)