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SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
By
Anirban Sengupta
The first satellite that was used for communication purpose in INDIA was ARYABHATTA and
it was launched in 19th April.1975. It was made and assembled by an organization called Indian
Space Research Organization (ISRO). In the year 1981, a satellite named APPLE was launched in
space which was the first Indian Experimental communication satellite. The unique feature of it
was that it was a three axis stabilization geosynchronous satellite and weighed around 645 kg. The
term APPLE is an abbreviation for Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment. It consisted of a (6/4
Ghz) processing equipment called Transponder. Various experiments were carried out with
APPLE, [SITE, STEP (Other satellite telecommunication experiment projects)] and the results
obtained from these experiments provided an impetus for Govt. of India to have its own
multipurpose Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite under INSAT (Indian National Satellite)
program. The first satellite INSAT-1A was launched in the year 1982 which was under this INSAT
program, but this effort went in vain as the power house of this satellite consisting of solar cells did
not operate properly( failed to open) and this satellite was unused latter on. The average electrical
power required by INSAT-1 was approximately 1000W and was provided by the power house
subsystem of the satellite. The payload was one C-band transponder and two S-band transponders.
Later succession of INSAT-1 series was launched like INSAT-1B, INSAT-C and INSAT-D. After
this due to the success of the first generation satellites, INSAT-2 series was launched viz. INSAT-
2A, INSAT-2B, INSAT-2C, INSAT-3D and INSAT-2E which provided variety of services.
WHAT IS SATELLITE?
A Satellite is a solid object which revolves around some heavenly body due to the effect of
gravitational forces which are mutual in nature. We can categorize satellites in two types, namely
Passive Satellites and Active satellites. Passive satellites are not like active satellites. Even a moon
can be a passive satellite. Thus passive satellites are relay stations in space. A passive satellite can
be further subdivided into two types, namely Natural satellites and artificial satellites. A moon is a
natural satellite of earth. But spherical balloon with metal coated plastic serve as artificial satellites.
Active satellites are complicated structures having a processing equipment called Transponder
which is very vital for functioning of the satellite. These transponders serve dual purpose i.e.
provides amplification of the incoming signal and performs the frequency translation of the
Satellite
Uplink Downlink
Antenna Antenna
Terrestrial Terrestrial
system system
User User
The term Satellite communication is very frequently used, but what is satellite communication? It
is simply the communication of the satellite in space with large number of earth stations on the
ground. Users are the ones who generate baseband signals, which is processed at the earth station
and then transmitted to the satellite through dish antennas. Now the user is connected to the earth
station via some telephone switch or some dedicated link. The satellite receives the uplink
frequency and the transponder present inside the satellite does the processing function and
frequency down conversion in order to transmit the downlink signal at different frequency. The
earth station then receives the signal from the satellite through parabolic dish antenna and
processes it to get back the baseband signal. This baseband signal is then transmitted to the
respective user via dedicated link or other terrestrial system. Previously satellite communication
system used large sized parabolic antennas with diameters around 30 meters because of the very
faint and weak signals received. But nowadays satellites have become much stronger, bigger and
powerful due to which antennas used have become automatically smaller in size. Thus the earth
station antennas are now not large in size as the antennas used in olden days. A satellite
communication system operates and works in the millimeter and microwave wave frequency bands
from 1 Ghz to 50 Ghz. There are various frequency bands utilized by satellites but the most
recognized of them is the uplink frequency of 6 Ghz and the downlink frequency of 4 Ghz.
Actually the uplink frequency band is 5.725 to 7.075 Ghz and the actual downlink frequency band
is from 3.4 to 4.8 Ghz. The major components of a Satellite Communication system is spacecraft
and one or more earth earths.
This subsystem comprises of rocket motors that keeps the correct orientation of the satellite in
space by moving it back to the correct orbit. Various external forces cause to change the parking
position of the satellite. The primary factors are gravitational forces of sun, moon earth and also
other planets of solar system. Other factors include solar pressure on the antennas and solar sails,
which is present on the body of the satellite. All these factors are hugely responsible for
misbalancing of the satellite and also responsible for changing the parking position of the
satellite. Apart from this the earth’s magnetic field is also playing a major role in changing the
parking position of satellite. The earth’s magnetic field generates eddy currents in the metallic
structure of the satellite as the satellite moves through the magnetic field. Thus the body of the
satellite gets rotated called as wobble of the satellite.
These subsystems are found partly on the satellite and partly on the earth stations. Data obtained
from the sensors present on the spacecraft are sent by the Telemetry systems through telemetry link
to the controlling earth stations. The telemetry system monitors the condition of the spacecraft.
Furthermore the Tracking system is present on the earth station which is all concerned about range,
azimuth angles and elevation angles of the spacecraft by providing necessary information on it.
There are various techniques used for tracking of satellite:
This is required to run satellite’s housekeeping and communication system. The block diagram of
the power subsystem is shown as:
Solar panels generate direct current which is used to operate different subsystems. The batteries
like Nickel-Cadmium batteries are charged by the DC power by employing the battery chargers.
The stabilized low voltage is supplied to power various subsystems which are generated by the
voltage regulator circuits. A dc to dc converter circuit generates high voltage dc which is used for
operating the traveling wave tube amplifiers. Generation of ac from dc is done by dc to ac inverter
circuits for running ac devices.
Solar Panels
Sun
Battery
charger
Power conditioning
Nickel-Cadmium
Voltage DC to DC DC to DC
Batteries
Regulators converters Inverter
Acting as
Buffers Low voltage High voltage AC
DC DC
To all other
To TWTS
subsystems
• PROPULSION SUBSYSTEM
This subsystem can also be called as a reaction control subsystem. It is carried by the satellite
in the GEO orbit. The dominant functions of it are:
· It helps the spacecraft to move to its assigned position in orbit and also helps to
maintain it in that position.
· It is also used to maintain the direction of spin axis attitude control against the
perturbation forces.
The main components of propulsion subsystem are: Low thrust actuators, High thrust
motors eg: apogee kick motor, Apogee boost motor and finally Perigee kick motor.
Low thrust actuators are further classified as Chemical thrusters and Electrical
thrusters. These thrusters are used for attitude and orbit corrections. Moreover the
Electric thrusters are mainly of two types 1.> Plasma thrusters 2.> Ion thrusters.
Antenna subsystem is also an essential component of satellite system. Basically four main type of
antennas are used: these are Monopoles and dipoles (wire antennas) which are mainly used in
VERY HIGH FREQUENCY AND ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY to provide communication for
TTC and M subsystem. 2.> Horn antennas are mainly used at microwave frequencies. Horns are
actually used as feeds for reflector. 3.> Array antennas are actually phased array antennas which
are used on satellites to form multiple beams from single aperture. 4> Reflector antennas are
commonly used for earth station antennas and the most widely employed shape of it is the
paraboloid with a feed placed at its focus. The patterns for different satellite antennas are shown as:
Satellite Earth
Earth
17°
Vertical
Satellite polarization
Earth
Horizontal
Satellite polarization
Spot beam Orthogonally Polarized beams
Carrier Power
LNA
Processing Amplifier
It is the key electronic component in a satellite. The transmitter receiver combination in a satellite
is known as a Transponder. It performs two major functions 1.> It provides amplification of the
signal thus providing a gain of around 110dB. 2> It also does the frequency down conversion or
frequency translation of the uplink signal in order to avoid interference between the received and
the transmitted signal.
Bend pipe type transponders are also called conventional type transponders.
Diplexer (acting as a two-way microwave gate) is the device which is responsible or used by the
satellite for both receiving the uplink signal and transmitting the downlink signal. The frequency
down conversion is done in the carrier processor. Amplification of the weak received signal is done
in the front end. The downlink frequency is brought to a sufficient power level by amplification by
the power amplifier such as Traveling Wave tube. The carrier processing equipment determines
whether the transponder is of conventional or regenerative type
• Broadband system
Multiplier
From RF Power To
Stable Frequency
Oscillator Multiplier
Multiplier Multiplier
Stable
Oscillator
Satellites are launched into its orbit by the satellite launch vehicles. These satellite launch
vehicles are basically multistage rockets. It is classified into two types:
• Expendable launch vehicle (ELV) eg: Ariane, Delta etc. These vehicles get
destroyed in space and it also carries more than one satellite with it.
• Reusable launch vehicle (RLV). Also known as space transportation system
(STV) eg: Space shuttle. In case of these satellites the vehicle will return back to the
earth after leaving the satellite in space. Thus they can be reused again and again.
Components of Launch vehicle:
• Propulsion system.
• Auto piloting system
• Aerodynamic structure
• Interactive steering subsystem
• C-Band.
• X-Band.
• Ku-Band
• Ka-Band.