BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI

FIRST SEMESTER 2011-2012

Course No.: EEE C472 Sep 13, 2011
Course Title: Satellite Communications
Max. Marks: 40 Time: 50 mins
TEST -1 (OPEN BOOK)

All questions carry equal marks.

1. Given the data in Table P1, calculate the latitude and longitude for subsatellite
point for an INTELSAT Satellite. State assumptions, if any.

Table P1
Date July 19
Time after 00:00:00 hrs 0.45071054 day
Year 1991
Inclination, i 0.0185
Right ascension of Ascending Node, 74.7003
Argument of perigee, 20.3483
Mean Anamoly, M 264.9645
Eccentricity, e 0.0002842
Revolutions per day 1.002728

2. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Orbiting Satellite

completes one revolution around the earth in 102 min. The satellite makes a north to
south equatorial crossing at 90 W. Assuming that the orbit is circular and crosses
exactly over the poles; estimate the position of the subsatellite point at the following
times after the equatorial crossing: (a) 0 h, 10 min; (b) 1 h, 42 min; (c) 2 h, 0 min.
Given that an earth station is located at 91 W, 45 N, determine the range to the
polar satellite. Assume the rotating earth to be sphere with uniform mass with mean
radius of 6371 km.

3. Calculate the azimuth and elevation of the GSAT-8 (Ku-band) Satellite at 55E as
seen from earth station at Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India (28.78 N, 77.5 E). Is
GSAT-8 visible from the earth station?

4. A spinner satellite has solar cells wrapped around a cylindrical drum 3.00m in
diameter with a height of 5.0 m on station. The drum is rotated at 60 rpm to spin-
stabilize the satellite. At the end of life, the solar cells are required to deliver 4.0 kW
of electrical power. a) Calculate the efficiency of the solar cells at the end of life.
Assume an incident solar power of 1.39 kW/m 2 and that the effective solar radiation
absorbing area of the solar cells is equal to the cross-sectional area of the drum. b)
If the solar cells degrade by 15% over the lifetime of the satellite, so that the end-
of-life output power is 85% of the beginning of life output power, what is the output
of the solar cells immediately after the launch?

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