Satellite switching concepts for European business services in the nineties
Abstract
A first generation of business communication satellites are now operational or to be launched. Increased demands for communication satellite facilities will develop, if special services, such as videoconferencing, can be provided at a reasonable cost. For such developments, it will be necessary to define a second generation of business communication satellites. The present investigation evaluates briefly the size of the expected European market for 1995. A study is conducted of the payload structure for the required satellite system, and aspects related to link budgets and power consumption are explored. It is found that system dimensioning is determined by the up-link and by technology. Critical factors are related to the output and input multiplexors for the link budget, the switching matrix, and implications for the mass budget. The best trade-off between technological, mass, and link budget limitations is achieved in connection with the employment of a hinged antennas satellite, using an intermediate number of spot beams and associated earth stations of reasonable size.
- Publication:
-
ICC 1981; International Conference on Communications, Volume 2
- Pub Date:
- 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981icc.....2Q..37L
- Keywords:
-
- Communication Satellites;
- Data Transmission;
- European Space Programs;
- Switching Circuits;
- Technological Forecasting;
- Teleconferencing;
- Antenna Design;
- Cost Effectiveness;
- Energy Consumption;
- Multiplexing;
- Satellite Antennas;
- Uplinking;
- Communications and Radar