ROCKETS FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATION.

The world needs a telecommunications system which can give constant field
strength at all times over the whole earth. Although it is possible to provide
telephone links between any two points on earth, the ionosphere can make
long distance communication difficult.

5 A rocket flying at 8 km/sec outside the earth's atmosphere can stay in orbit.
It would be like a second moon, going around the earth without using power.
If the rocket is in orbit 42,000 km above the earth, it will circle the earth once
every 24 hours. It would stay above the same spot on the earth.

10 It would be possible to build a space station in such an orbit by carrying up

materials in rockets. The station could be provided with transmitting and
receiving equipment, and could act as a repeater to relay transmissions
between any two points on the hemisphere below.

15 For world service, at least three stations would be needed, placed at equal
distances around the earth. This is the only way to transmit around the
whole world, using beams in an unlimited number of channels. The station
would have very low power needs, and, even if it were expensive at first, the
system would be much cheaper to run than present ones.

The first manmade satellite was launched on 4 October 1957. Five years
later the Telstar, working in a low altitude orbit, made possible live
broadcasts between North America and Europe. The transmissions lasted
for about 24 minutes at a time, but the satellite had the capacity for about
sixty telephone circuits or a very limited TV channel.

20 Intelsat I had only 240 telephone channels, but now satellites like Intelsat V
relay 75% of international telephone calls. New satellites have high capacity,
long life, and can be used for telephone. television or computer data
transmissions. Intelsat V has 12,000 circuits for all types of
telecommunications.

25 Transmissions from a satellite can give global or spot beam coverage, but
they are received by all earth stations in sight of the satellite. Each station
selects the channels or carriers which are addressed to it. In the same way,
all stations in sight of a satellite can use it simultaneously, and this is known
as multiple access.

30 Earth stations must be capable of detecting very low level signals. Their
parabolic antennas, which track the satellite automatically, feed the signal to
a low noise first stage amplifier, which may be followed by a second stage
travelling wave tube amplifier. The earth station transmitting equipment is
very powerful, emitting signals at up to 10 kW. In some cases it is possible
to control the satellite transponders and antennas from an earth station. This
 process is known as telecommanding

35 INTELSAT was formed in 1964 to operate and maintain the global satellite
communications system. The agency designs and builds satellites, and
organizes their launching.

NASA, the U.S. space organization, is the main agency in the world for
launching satellites. NASA’s two and three stage Titan rockets safely
launched all ten Gemini manned spacecraft, as well as numerous satellites.

40 E.S.A., the European space agency, has produced the Ariane launch
vehicle as a rival to Titan. For a 1.2 tonne geostationary satellite an Ariane
launch costs $30 million, compared to $75 million by Titan. However,
although it is more costly, Titan is also more reliable with 119 successful
launches out of 122.

45 The Ariane consists of three stages, each of which is a pair of fuel tanks with
one or more rocket engines. The fuel from the two tanks burn when mixed in
the engine. The large first stage lifts, the vehicle through the atmosphere,
and when the fuel tanks are empty the section falls away, igniting the
second stage. The process is repeated by the second stage, then the third
stage, which carries a computer and directional equipment in its front end,
and maneuvers the satellite into position

50 Expendable launch vehicles such as Titan and Ariane now face strong
competition from NASA’s new generation of re-usable "Space Shuttle"
launch vehicles. Although the cost of a shuttle is as high as a billion dollars,
the airplane-like spacecraft is designed to go into orbit repeatedly, thus
reducing the cost of launching a satellite to around $16 million.

55 The space shuttle is launched with the aid of two booster rockets and an
external fuel tank. When the boosters are no longer needed they fall to earth
by parachute, to be picked up from the sea and used again. Later the fuel
tank is released, but this is not recovered. Once In orbit, the orbiter uses its
own engines to maneuver. After the mission, the shuttle re-enters the earth's
atmosphere and lands on a runway in the same way as an aircraft.
(Text adapted from Telecommunications Developing Reading Skills in
English. by D. Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1985)