Satellite Communication

(18B12EC417)

Satellite
Sub-systems
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Elements of a Satellite

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 Major Subsystems
• Attitude & orbit control system (AOCS), consists of
rocket motors that are used to move the satellite back to
the correct orbit when external forces causes it to drift.
• Telemetry, Tracking & Command (TT&C), this is partly on
the satellite and partly on the controlling earth station. A
dedicated earth station is used for this purpose.
• Power system (mainly solar cells)
• Communications subsystem, these are the major
components of a communications satellite (transponders
& antennas)

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 Attitude & Orbital Control
• AOC system is necessary to ensure that the narrow beam
antennas are pointing correctly to the earth, (within ± 0.1
degree )
• Several factors make the space craft tend to rotate and
wobble and change orbit (e.g. gravitational forces from
sun, moon, and other planets.)
• Different forms of stabilization are used e.g. entire craft is
rotated at 30-100 RPM to provide gyroscopic action by
using spinners. 3-axis stabilization using 3 momentum
wheels mounted on 3 orthogonal axes. (Also closed loop
control of the attitude.)
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• At GEO orbit altitude the moon’s gravitational force is about
twice as strong as the sun’s
• Moon orbit is inclined to the equatorial plane by approximately
5 degrees
• The plane of the earth’s rotation around the sun is inclined to
23 degrees to the equatorial plane
• Net gravitational force on the satellite tends to change the
inclination of the satellite.
• Approximately 0.86 degrees per year from the equatorial
plane.
• LEO satellites are less effected by this gravitational pull from
the sun and moon
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Satellite in Inclined Orbit

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 Satellite Telemetry, Tracking and
Control Subsystems
• The telemetry, tracking and control subsystem provides
vital communication to and from the spacecraft
• TT&C is the only way to observe and to control the
spacecraft’s functions and condition from the ground
• Major functions
 Report spacecraft health
 Monitor command actions
 Determine orbital elements
 Control of thrusters
 Control of payload (communications, etc.)

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 Telemetry System
• Collects data from many sensors and sends them to the
control earth station.
• Pressure in fuel tanks
• Current drawn by each subsystem
• Critical voltages & currents
• Temperatures.
• Status & positions of switches
• sighting devices used to maintain attitude
• Low data rate is used to allow the receiver at the earth station
to have narrow band-width and maintain high C/N ratio.

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 Tracking
• The determination of the current orbit and
position of the spacecraft.
• Velocity & acceleration sensors are employed.
• The control earth station can observe the
Doppler shift of the telemetry carrier to
determine the rate of change of the range.
• Triangulation can be used from measurements
from several earth stations observing the
satellite.
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 Command System
• Secure & effective command structure is vital for the
successful launch and operation of a communication
satellite.
• The command system is used for:
• Making changes in attitude & orbit correction
• Controlling the communications system
• Controlling the firing of the apogee boost motor
• Spinning up a spinner spacecraft
• Extending the solar sails of a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft
• Safeguards against errors in received commands are
built in command structure.
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 Contd..
• Command originates at the control terminal by
converting a control code into a command word
which is sent in a TDM frame to the satellite.
• Validity is checked and sent back via the telemetry
link where it is checked again in the computer.
• If the command word is received correctly, an
execute instruction will be sent to the satellite.
• The entire process takes 5-10 sec. And minimizes
the risk of malfunctioning.
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Typical TTC&M system

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 Power System
• All communication satellites obtain their power from
solar cells.
• Solar radiation falling on a geostationary spacecraft has
intensity of 1.39 kw/m2 ( solar cell efficiency is 10-15%).
• Efficiency of solar cells falls with time due to aging and
etching of the surface.
• Space crafts carry batteries to power the subsystems
during launch and eclipses.
• Typical NiH2 battery can withstand 30,000 cycles (ample
for GEO, would be 5 years in LEO)

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 Communications System
• A communications satellite exists to provide a
platform in the orbit for relaying of voice, video, and
data.
• Comm. Satellites are designed to provide the largest
traffic capacity possible. (e.g. the INTELSAT system)
• The INTELSAT example shows that successive
satellites become larger, heavier, more expensive,
and handles more traffic. Result: lower cost per
telephone circuit.

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• The communications subsystems are the major
elements of a communication satellite and the
rest of the space craft is there solely to support it.
• Quite often it is only a small part of the mass and
volume of the satellite.
• The communications subsystem consists of one
or more antennas and communications
receiver - transmitter units known as
transponders.
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 Communication Transponders
• Transponders are of two types:
– Repeater or Bent pipe and
– processing or regenerative
• In Repeater type, communications transponder receives the
signals at microwave frequencies and amplifies the RF carrier
after frequency conversion
• Whereas in Processing type of transponder in addition to
frequency translation and amplification, the RF carrier is
demodulated to baseband and the signals are regenerated
and modulated in the transponder.
• Analog communication systems are exclusively repeater type.
Digital communication system may use either variety.
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 Communications Antennas
• The actual reception and retransmission of the signals
are however, accomplished by the antennas on board
the satellite.
• The communications antennas on board the satellite
maintain the link with the ground segment and the
communications transponder.
• The size and shape of the communications antenna
depend on the coverage requirements and the
antenna system can be tailor made to meet the
specific coverage requirements of the system.
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 Types of Antennas
• Four major types of antennas:

– Wire antenna
– Horn antenna
– Reflector antenna
– Array antenna

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 Wire Antenna

• A wire antenna is a radio antenna consisting of a long wire

suspended above the ground, whose length does not bear a
relation to the wavelength of the radio waves used.

• They are widely used as receiving antennas on the long wave,

medium wave, and short wave bands, as well as transmitting
antennas on these bands for small outdoor, temporary or
emergency transmitting stations, as well as in situations where
more permanent antennas cannot be installed.

• Wire antenna are used in VHF and UHF and provide omni-
directional coverage.

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 Horn Antenna
• Horn antenna is used at UHF and Microwave frequency (Above 300
MHz) and provide global coverage.

• An advantage of horn antennas is that since they have no resonant

elements, they can operate over a wide range of frequencies, a wide
bandwidth.

• The usable bandwidth of horn antennas is typically of the order of 10:1,

and can be up to 20:1 (for example allowing it to operate from 1 GHz to
20 GHz).

• The input impedance is slowly varying over this wide frequency range,
allowing low voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) over the bandwidth.

• The gain of horn antennas ranges up to 25 dBi, with 10 - 20 dBi being

typical.
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 Reflector Antenna

• Reflector antenna is used for high gain and

narrow bandwidth.
• Gain is improved and the main beam
narrowed with increase in the reflector size.
• Large reflectors are however difficult to
simulate as they become very large in terms of
wavelengths.

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 Array Antenna
• An antenna array is a set of individual antennas used for
transmitting and/or receiving radio waves, connected
together in such a way that their individual currents are
in a specified amplitude and phase relationship.
• There is an increase in the antenna's directional gain.
• The array uses electromagnetic wave interference to
enhance the radiative signal in one desired direction at
the expense of other directions.
• It may also be used to null the radiation pattern in one
particular direction, especially for a receiving antenna in
the face of a particular interfering source

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• Wire antennas (UHF & VHF)
– TTC&M
– Mobile users on the ground
• Horn + reflector antennas (dishes)
– Antenna arrays
– Feeds for reflectors (high gain)
• Multiple feeds + reflector (phased arrays)
– Used to generate multiple beams
– Used for pattern shaping

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• Characterized by the
– Antenna gain
– Antenna pattern
– Beam width
– Efficiency
– Impedance

• Antenna coverage may be

Global beam – cover as much as possible (17 degrees of beam width
from GEO)
Spot beams – cover smaller area on the ground
Multiple switched beams
Phase array beams
Orthogonally polarized beams
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 Conclusion
• We have discussed about:
– AOCS
– TTC&M
– Communication Sub-system
– Power Sub-system
– Satellite Antennas

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THANK YOU

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