Application of the Microwave Time Transfer and Ranging Experiments (MITREX) modem to ranging and network synchronization

The modem designed for Microwave Time Transfer and Ranging Experiments (MITREX) is described. Position determination of telecommunication satellites by trilateration is possible quickly and precisely with this method. The simulation of the navigation task for satellite rendezvous and docking maneuvers and long baseline determination are discussed. Proposals on how to use the MITREX-modems in TDMA-network synchronization are presented. They are based on separating the TDMA-data transmission and the related synchronization tasks by generating a time reference with the PN-signal by MITREX-modems. This can increase the overall TDMA-efficiency, reduce the complexity of the TDMA hardware, and simplify the network management, thus making TDMA more attractive for networks with a greater number of Earth stations.