Future Global Satellite Systems for Intelsat

International satellite communications traffic in the Atlantic basin is growing at a compounded rate of 15 percent per annum and seems likely to continue at this level for the foreseeable future. In this paper, a number of satellite system concepts are presented as alternatives to accommodate Atlantic region traffic in the year 2000. These concepts range from extrapolations of current Intelsat architecture to modular approaches to capacity growth which incorporate advanced technologies. The concepts were generated as part of a study effort aimed at developing and analyzing these and other concepts, identifying critical technologies and defining viable satellite systems for the post Intelsat VI timeframe.