Satellite Communication at Ka and Q/V Frequency Bands

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Information and Communications Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 10031

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Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Interests: satellite and deep space telecommunications; radio propagation; information theory; mathematics of alphabetical texts
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last 10 years, satellite communication systems have evolved towards constellations with many satellites (hundreds and thousands) and small satellites orbiting in a large variety of orbits at different altitudes, while still using the huge geostationary satellites in the Clarke Orbit. The growing capacity offered by all these systems is possible because higher frequency bands are adopted, such as the Ka band (20 and 30 GHz). Now, the higher Q/V frequency bands (33–75 GHz) are also becoming the focus of experiments. At these frequencies, smaller and lighter equipment (antennae and receivers/transmitters) allows a widespread use around the globe, both for fixed and mobile users. However, at these frequencies, the fading due to the troposphere (water vapor, oxygen, rainfall, snow) is the limiting factor. Modulation, coding, and fade countermeasures are being studied to overcome some of these difficulties.

This Special Issue is directed at industrial and academic colleagues who should address the basic aspects of satellite communication at these high frequencies. Some of these topics are also of interest for future Mars missions. The potential topics include but are not limited to the following research areas:

  • Orbits and constellations for global communications;
  • Small satellites;
  • Propagation effects at Ka and Q/V frequency bands for mobile, broadcast, navigation, and fixed services;
  • Fade countermeasures;
  • Global satellite communication for the planet Mars.

Prof. Emilio Matricciani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • satellite communication
  • orbits (GEO, MEO, LEO)
  • small satellites
  • propagation
  • troposphere fades
  • fade countermeasures
  • mobile and fixed users
  • Mars

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 7265 KiB  
Article
Rainfall Estimation from Tropospheric Attenuation Affecting Satellite Links
by Riccardo Angelo Giro, Lorenzo Luini and Carlo Giuseppe Riva
Information 2020, 11(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/info11010011 - 23 Dec 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3527
Abstract
A novel methodology for estimating rainfall rate from satellite signals is presented. The proposed inversion algorithm yields rain rate estimates by making opportunistic use of the downlink signal and exploiting local ancillary meteorological information (0 °C isotherm height and monthly convectivity index), which [...] Read more.
A novel methodology for estimating rainfall rate from satellite signals is presented. The proposed inversion algorithm yields rain rate estimates by making opportunistic use of the downlink signal and exploiting local ancillary meteorological information (0 °C isotherm height and monthly convectivity index), which can be extracted on a Global basis from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) products. The methodology includes different expressions to take the different impact of stratiform and convective rain events on the link into due account. The model accuracy in predicting the rain rate is assessed (and compared to the one of other models), both on a statistical and on an instantaneous basis, by exploiting a full year of data collected in Milan, in the framework of the Alphasat Aldo Paraboni propagation experiment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Satellite Communication at Ka and Q/V Frequency Bands)
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Review

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13 pages, 6667 KiB  
Review
Telecommunication Systems for Small Satellites Operating at High Frequencies: A Review
by Alessandra Babuscia
Information 2020, 11(5), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/info11050258 - 8 May 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4571
Abstract
Small Satellites and in particular CubeSats are becoming extremely popular platforms with which to perform space research. They allow for rapid prototyping with considerable cost savings with respect to traditional missions. However, as small satellite missions become more ambitious in terms of destinations [...] Read more.
Small Satellites and in particular CubeSats are becoming extremely popular platforms with which to perform space research. They allow for rapid prototyping with considerable cost savings with respect to traditional missions. However, as small satellite missions become more ambitious in terms of destinations to reach (from Low Earth Orbit to interplanetary) and in terms of the amount of data to transmit, new technologies need to be developed to provide adequate telecommunication support. This paper aims to review the telecommunication systems that have been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for some of the most recent CubeSat missions operating at different frequency bands: ASTERIA (S-Band), MarCO (X-Band and UHF) and ISARA (Ka-Band and UHF). For each of these missions: the telecommunication challenges and requirements are listed; the final system design is presented; the characteristics of the different hardware components are shown; and the lessons learned through operations are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Satellite Communication at Ka and Q/V Frequency Bands)
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