ECE405 Satellite Communication

Dr. S. Hariharan
Assistant Professor (Sr.)
Department of Communication Engineering
School of Electronics Engineering
VIT University
Vellore

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Outline

Launches and launch vehicles

Placing a satellite in a geo-stationary orbit

Satellite subsystems
Communication subsystem
Satellite transponders

Examples

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Satellite launch
Two categories of satellite launches

1. John F. Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, United States

o Expandable launch vehicles
2. Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
3. Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, French Guiana
Ariane (EU)
4. Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC), Russia
Atlas, Delta (US)
5. Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China
Soyuz (Russia)
6. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China
o Reusable launch vehicles
7. Uchinoura Space Centre, Japan
Space Shuttle (STS) up to 2011 8. Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan
9. German Aerospace Centre, Germany
Dragon, Falcon 9 (Space X)
10. Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (SHAR), India
Buran? Orion?

Launches are usually done in several stages

o Launch vehicle is used to place satellite in one of the transfer LEO orbits
o Satellite is maneuvered from a transfer orbit into the final orbit
Due to Earth rotation the launch is easiest from equator
o Velocity boost from Earth rotation ~ 0.47km/sec
o LEO orbits require velocities ~ 7.5km/sec
o Launching from equator ~ 6% fuel savings
Launches from sites that are not on the equator place satellites in inclined orbits

o If the satellite is to be placed in GEO stationary orbit, the correction of the orbit inclination needs to be performed
Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Launch Vehicles
Reusable launch vehicles (RLV) are designed to be recovered intact and used again for
subsequent launches.
Expendable launch vehicles (ELV) are designed to be used Space Shuttle (NASA) - Reusable
only once and their components are not recovered after
launch.
Launch capacity
Heavy lift launch vehicles (HLLV) - GTO = 10T, LEO=5T
Large launch vehicles (LLV) GTO=5T, LEO 2-5T
Medium launch vehicles (MLV) - GTO= 2-5T, LEO= 1 - 2T
Small launch vehicles (SLV)- GTO= 2T, LEO = 1 T
Common expendable launch vehicles
o Ariane (Europe)
o Atlas (USA)
o Delta (USA)
o GSLV (India)
o PSLV (India)
o Long March (China)
o Proton (Russia)
Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Comparison of PSLV, GSLV and GSLV-III

PSLV - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
GSLV - Geostationary Satellite Launch
Vehicle
Launch Location: (latitude 13, 43 )
The Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC),
formally - Sriharikota High Altitude
Range (SHAR) Since 1971

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

GEO satellite launch sequence

Case 1

Case 2

Case 1: Launch vehicle puts the satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit

o The orbit has high eccentricity with apogee at the geostationary (or geosynchronous) orbit
o When the satellite passes through apogee, additional velocity is given to the satellite by Apogee Kick Motor (AKM) and
the satellite changes orbits
o If the orbit is not GEO stationary, additional adjustments are required to correct for the orbit inclination
Case 2: Lunch vehicle put the satellite into circular LEO orbit

o Two maneuvers are required

o Perigee maneuver to transform circular orbit into elliptical orbit, and

o Apogee maneuver to transform elliptical orbit into GEO stationary orbit

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Launch Sequence
35,786 km
V = 3.0727 km/s
GEO

1. Change to a GTO (GEO transfer Orbit)

For GTO
Va

Vp

LEO

Requirement
= 10.169 /
= 1.606 /
2. Circularize orbit
Requirement
V = 3.0727 km/s for GEO
Change = 3.0727 1.606 =
1.4667 /
3. Burn at to increase to 3.0727 / for
circular orbit at GEO

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Launch Sequence

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Launch of a GEO satellite from Kourou

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

Launch Vehicles

Launch sequence of GSLV-FO4

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

10

Acquiring the Desired Orbit

Inclination angle

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

11

Acquiring the Desired Orbit

Firing thrusters on one face of the spacecraft moves

it in the opposing direction

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

Firing thrusters on opposite sides rotates

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

12

Satellite velocity at GEO

For GEO Inclination = 0 and = 0 Satellite. calculate orbital height and velocity

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

13

Incremental velocity
Velocity at parking orbit

Velocity at perigee of GTO

incremental velocity from parking orbit to GTO

. . = . /
Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

14

Incremental velocity
Velocity at apogee of GTO

Velocity at GSO

incremental velocity required from GTO to GSO

. . = . /

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

15

Why multiple stage launchers?

= incremental spacecraft velocity generated by each stage

= exhaust velocity of gas
= mass of expelled fuel
= mass of launch vehicle including satellite
= final spacecraft velocity = sum of of all stages
To maximize , reduce
In multistage launch each stage provides a thrust and the dead mass of the emptied container is
removed to reduce
Thus succeeding stages need lower thrust to achieve .
Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

16

Satellite Subsystem
Satellite Bus is the platform that supports payload operation reliably throughout
mission life

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

17

Functions of spacecraft Bus

Attitude and Orbit Control (AOC) system
To maintain position and orientation of satellite towards service area

Propulsion system
To provide proper thrust to satellite to maintain its attitude and orbit
Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TTC) system
To provide status and health of subsystems to ground monitoring station,
To accept command from ground control and to execute them in order to meet the
performance requirement of the subsystems.
To support ground stations to track the satellite.
Power system
To Provide primary and secondary DC power to subsystem electronics
Thermal system
To maintain temperature of different systems in Bus and Payload within their operating
range
Structure system
To provide mechanical and structural support to the satellite during orbit raising and
normal operational period
Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

18

Functions of spacecraft Bus

Dr. S. Hariharan, SENSE, VIT.

ECE405 - Satellite Communication

19