Commercial communications satellite market and technology in the 90's

A description is presented of a user requirement study which was conducted during the fall of 1982 to determine possible commercial communications missions for a low-earth orbit space station under consideration for the 1990s. The study included a review of the literature on large space structures for communications. The survey returns were grouped into four categories, taking into account missions relating to testing, space communications technology, scientific research priorities and suggestions for cost savings in space, and communications traffic growth. In discussions regarding the space station, of considerable interest to many of the participants was the concept of the space station as a "service station-in-the-sky". Some interest was expressed in a low-earth orbit communications satellite.