High-speed digital transmission performance of the European Orbital Test Satellite /OTS/

This paper describes tests conducted by four European countries to evaluate the digital (QPSK) performance of the Orbital Test Satellite (OTS), this being an experimental 11/14 GHs satellite which employs frequency re-use by polarisation discrimination. Results are presented for tests conducted at 60, 120 and 180 Mbit/s; performance is compared at these transmission rates and, where possible, parallels are drawn with results from similar systems including those obtained at 60 Mbit/s from a laboratory model of the OTS payload.