Antennas – antennas serve as interfaces between transmitted/received signals and transmitters/receivers. Depending on the type, shape, and size of the transmitter antenna, the transmitted signal will have directionality and polarization properties. A receiver antenna is designed to match this directionality and polarization so that the transmitted signal can be received. Earth-facing antennas are usually designed to provide a coverage region with a particular contour shape. Typically, horn antennas and parabolic reflector antennas are used for this purpose. In some satellites, multiple transmit antennas (lens antennas and antenna arrays) are used to generate multiple “spot beams” for higher signal directionality and gain. The coverage region and the spot beams may be fixed or dynamically formed depending on the application. Some advanced experimental …show more content…
Most of today's satellites are GEO.In a relatively short span of time, satellite technology has developed from the experimental (Sputnik in 1957) to the sophisticated and powerful. Future communication satellites will have more onboard processing capabilities, more power, and larger-aperture antennas that will enable satellites to handle more bandwidth. Further improvements in satellites’ propulsion and power systems will increase their service life to 20–30 years from the current 10–15 years. In addition, other technical innovations such as low-cost reusable launch vehicles are in development. With increasing video, voice, and data traffic requiring larger amounts of bandwidth, there is no shortage of emerging applications that will drive demand for the satellite services in the years to come. The demand for more bandwidth, coupled with the continuing innovation and development of satellite technology, will ensure the long-term viability of the commercial satellite industry well into the 21st
This example focuses on the use of satellite networking, to broadcast the signal from the satellite, to the ground station. This type of technology involves the use of Zigbee at small distances, and WiMax for greater distances.
Despite that, 3D Graphics and Virtual reality are very important to NASA to visualize space environments otherwise they would be sending Astronauts blindly. Along with 3D graphics, Satellites are one of the most important and most used pieces of technology used for NASA. It was used for communicating with Astronauts in space and like how they were used to transmit radio waves, to communicate with people in Space Stations. "Satellite telescopes have been critical to understanding phenomena like pulsars and black holes as well as measuring the age of the universe." (What are Satellites used
The selection of satellites bands with wider frequencies allows a variety of information to travel and decreases the limitation of usage by the users. The Ka-Band (26-40GHz) the communication satellites provides high resolution, close ranges targeting radar on military crafts(TIA,2013). The current suggestion of band would be the Ka-Band (26-40GHz) the communication satellites allows high resolution, close ranges that support strong military functions(TIA,2013). advancements to the developing concept, identify leverage over the other choices, utilizing Ka-bands do propose substantiated risks however, it is still operable (Lewis, 2014). Users offering themselves a band with wider frequency means information can transfer swiftly whereas, a smaller frequency could offer more accuracy but limits the user capability. All forums offer positive attribute and consequential attributes but overall the assessment has to be made by the operation leader. As technology develops engineers are developing ideal that are properly modified to support the needs of the community and excel in
During the Space Race, the first orbital satellites were sent to outer space. Today, Americans can communicate, predict the weather, and study geodetics because of the satellites that first orbited in space.All satellites and space probes carry specialized radios receiving and transmitting equipment for guidance and control purposes as well as relaying data from space to Earth. Without the first satellite transmission of a human voice in 1958, communication would not be as efficient (Rabinowitch, 1963).
An example of this is the satellite television which was introduced in 1962 with the launch of the Telstar satellite. With this, television signals were able to travel through space to televisions around the world. Another invention that was introduced during this time was the weather satellite. “Kennedy also requested funding to accelerate the use of communication satellites to expand worldwide communications and the use of satellites for worldwide weather observation. Both of these initiatives quickly evolved into major areas of space technology that now serve the global community” (Angelo 29).
Jim Sciutto conducted a 1-hr documentary on the inevitable war in space. Sciutto interviewed more than ten national security, defense and high-ranking military personnel to include the entire chain of command for space warfare. Sciutto explains that American (citizens, military, and government) depends on our satellites every day. However, our adversaries are targeting America's satellites and are preparing to disarm America from her satellites usage with weapon systems such as lasers, kamikaze satellites, and even kidnapper satellites.
If we were to launch a space mission, the first step would be, well, building a spacecraft. Since Sputnik launch in 1957 until recently, the satellite industry was limited to governmental labs, military and telecommunication companies. Costing from hundreds of millions up to billions
NASA has sponsored space expeditions, both human and mechanical, that have yielded vital information about the solar system and universe. It has also launched numerous earth-orbiting satellites that have been instrumental in everything from weather forecasting to navigation to global communications.There are essentially three types of Earth orbits: high Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit, and low Earth orbit. Many weather and some communications satellites tend to have a high Earth orbit, which means that its farthest away from the surface of earth. Satellites that orbit in a medium Earth orbit include navigation and specialty satellites, designed to monitor a particular region. Most scientific satellites, including NASA’s Earth Observing System fleet, have a low Earth orbit. The distance between the satellite and Earth’s surface, determines how quickly the satellite moves around the Earth. An Earth-orbiting satellite’s motion is mostly controlled by Earth’s gravity. As satellites get closer to Earth, the pull of gravity gets stronger, and the satellite moves more
The Sputnik satellite traveling through Earth’s lower orbit shocked America that October day in 1957. Many reactions ranged from anxious and hysteric to indifferent or even unsatisfied about the situation as a whole, but the event did raise valid questions. The general consensus became why did the Soviet Union launch a satellite into orbit before the United States? Many believed the U.S. was the dominant superpower in the technology arena but were caught off guard when the Soviet Union beat the U.S. to the chase. Americans questioned the intentions and potential uses of satellites and what this new technology could bring for the future.
The equation for radiation resistance is given in (1). As can be seen, the greater the radiation resistance, the more energy is radiated or received by the antenna. When the radiation resistance of the antenna matches the resistance of the transmitter or receiver, the system is optimized. Antennas also have ohmic or loss resistance which decreases efficiency. It can be shown that an efficient antenna must be comparable to a wavelength in size.
“Even before the first satellite was launched, U.S. leaders recognized that the ability to observe military activities around the world from space would be an asset to national security… Intelligence-gathering satellites have been used to verify arms-control agreements, provide warnings of military threats, and identify targets during military operations, among other uses” (Space Exploration). During an age when nuclear threats loomed upon both the U.S. and the USSR with frightening reality, it was crucial for intelligence agencies of both nations to gather as much information as possible about the other’s missile programs and operations. This created the demand for orbiting satellites that would send back crucial information. Another benefit of orbital satellite reconnaissance was the low risk involved. In 1960, an American U-2 spy plane flying over the Soviet Union on a reconnaissance mission was shot down by the Soviets. “The Soviets managed to shoot down Powers's U-2 and capture the American pilot” (U-2 Affair). The pilot was imprisoned, CIA operations were revealed, and the U.S. was under a huge international embarrassment. Launching satellites does not risk losing human lives, leaking secret information, or losing national integrity during unexpected occasions such as the U-2
With the increased competition between the two world superpowers the United States saw their means of communication change, the ability to track weather patterns. Sputnik may have been the first satellite in space but the United States decided to create satellites as means of communication across the country. The initial satellite made by the United States,Echo 1 was created for communications across the United States. This satellite was a metal ball bouncing signals off it. It aimed to send messages to different parts of the country and the test relayed from Holmdel, New Jersey to Goldstone,California. Improvements in Communication was a big step because it now allowed a more efficient way to contact individuals long distance. These improvements in communication could also help the military forces for battlefield communications.Congress passed the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 to create a unique company, Comsat, which in turn helped set up and manage the first international system, Intelsat. By the end of the decade over sixty countries belonged to Intelsat, with twenty-eight members operating fifty ground stations. The system achieved worldwide coverage in 1969, when geosynchronous satellites successfully served the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean basins. By having this system of communication it made tasks and other important objectives such as military communication easier since there was now an almost direct line
operation but also needs to have an appropriate proposed design. It employs two techniques to improve the radiation pattern. These techniques are the use of an angled dipole and vertical copper plates arranged on the ground plane for improvement in the radiation pattern of lower and upper bands, respectively radiation profile in both bands, namely similar gain, wide beamwidth. One of the popular techniques for broadening the patch antenna bandwidth is to incorporate a U-slot on its surface. They have the ability to confine the power in certain directions instead of scattering the power everywhere.
Besides the development of nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM’s) were introduced in the 1950’s providing a more effective strategic delivery system during the first stage of the Cold War. It is not a surprised the Soviet Union had missiles able to reach any part of the planet when they launched the Sputnik satellite into space on October 4, 1957. Three months after the launch of Sputnik, on January 1958, the United States launched their first satellite, Explorer
Angle modulation is a technique in which the angle of the carrier wave is varied according to the instantaneous amplitude of the modulating signal. There are two types of angle modulation.