Part B Four/Eight/ Sixteen Mark Questions:

13. Explain in detail about satellite mobile services. (16)

Various schemes have been devised to allow satellites to increase the bandwidth available
to ground based cellular networks. Every cell in a cellular network divides up a fixed range of
channels which consist of either frequencies, as in the case of FDMA systems, or time slots, as
in the case of TDMA. Since a particular cell can only operate within those channels allocated
to it, overloading can occur. By using satellites which operate at a frequency outside those of
the cell, we can provide extra satellite channels on demand to an overloaded cell. These extra
channels can just as easily be, once free, used by any other overloaded cell in the network, and
are not bound by bandwidth restrictions like those used by the cell. In other words, a satellite
that provides service for a network of cells can allow its own bandwidth to be used by any cell
that needs it without being bound by terrestrial bandwidth and location restrictions.

14. Describe the operation of typical VSAT system. State briefly where VSAT
systems and find widest applications. (16)
VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal)

VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a satellite communications system that serves
home and business users. A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the user's
computer and an outside antenna with a transceiver. The tranceiver receives or sends a signal to a
satellite transponder in the sky. The satellite sends and receives signals from an earth station
computer that acts as a hub for the system. Each end user is interconnected with the hub station
via the satellite in a star topology. For one end user to communicate with another, each
transmission has to first go to the hub station which retransmits it via the satellite to the other end
user's VSAT. VSAT handles data, voice, and video signals.

VSAT is used both by home users who sign up with a large service such as DirecPC and
by private companies that operate or lease their own VSAT systems. VSAT offers a number of
advantages over terrestrial alternatives. For private applications, companies can have total
control of their own communication system without dependence on other companies. Business
and home users also get higher speed reception than if using ordinary telephone service or ISDN.

15. Describe the main features of Radarsat. Explain what is meant by dawn to dusk
orbit and why the Radarsat follows such on orbit. (16)

RADARSAT is a sophisticated Earth observation (EO) satellite developed by Canada to

monitor environmental change and the planet's natural resources and to support resource
sustainability. Launched in November1995, RADARSAT provides Canada and the world with
an operational radar satellite system capable of timely delivery of large amounts of data.
RADARSAT also provides useful information to both commercial and scientific users in the
fields of agriculture, cartography, hydrology, forestry, oceanography, ice studies and coastal
monitoring.

With the launch of RADARSAT-1 in November 1995, Canada and the world have access to
 the first fully operational civilian radar satellite system capable of large scale production and
timely delivery of data. The data from the satellite meets the needs of commercial, government
and
The RADARSAT program, led by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), builds on the
history of achievement in remote sensing by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS),
Natural Resources Canada. With its creation in 1989, CSA took over the implementation and
operation of the RADARSAT project as a key component of the Canadian space program. CCRS
continues to participate in the RADARSAT program by operating Canada's two RADARSAT
ground receiving stations located in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Gatineau, Qubec, and
conducting applications research.

16. Explain why a minimum of four satellites are visible at an earth location utilizing the GPS
system for position determination. What does the term dilution of precision refer to?
GPS Constellation Design
The operational Block II/IIA satellite constellation was to be fully deployed by the late
1980's.
However, a number of factors, the main one being the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
(28 January
1986), has meant that the GPS system only became operational in the 1990's as far as most
users were
concerned. Full Operational Capability was declared on 17 July 1995 -- 24 Block II/IIA
satellites
operating satisfactorily. At an altitude of approximately 20,200km, a constellation of 24
functioning
GPS satellites is sufficient to ensure that there will always be at least four satellites visible,
at all
unobstructed sites on the globe. Typically there are 6 to 10 satellites visible most of the
day. The U.S.
Department of Defense has undertaken to guarantee 24 satellite coverage 70% of the time,
and 21
satellite coverage 98% of the time.
17. Describe the main features and services offered by the orbcomm satellite system.
The ORBCOMM System is a wide area, packet switched, two-way data communication
system. Communications between Subscriber Communicators (SCs) and ORBCOMM
Gateways are accomplished via a constellation of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
ORBCOMM Gateways are connected to dial-up circuits, private dedicated lines, or the
Internet.The ORBCOMM System consists of the ground infrastructure, a space segment,
and a subscriber segment. A Network Control Center (NCC) manages the overall system
worldwide.
The ground infrastructure (discussed in Chapter 3) contains the ORBCOMMGateway,
which provides message processing and subscriber management.
The space segment (discussed in Chapter 4) currently consists of 35 LEO satellites
and one Satellite Control Center (SCC).
The subscriber segment (discussed in Section 3.6) consists of the SCs used by
ORBCOMM System subscribers to transmit information to and receive information
from the LEO satellites.
RF communication within the ORBCOMM System operates in the very high frequency
(VHF) portion of the frequency spectrum, between 137 and 150 Megahertz (MHz). The
ORBCOMM satellites have a subscriber transmitter that provides a continuous 4800-bps
stream of downlink packet data. (The downlink is capable of transmitting at 9600 bps.)
Each satellite also has multiple subscriber receivers that receive short bursts from the
SCsat 2400 bps. The ORBCOMM System is capable of providing low-bit-rate wireless
data communications service around the world.
All communications within the ORBCOMM System must pass through an
ORBCOMM Gateway. An ORBCOMM Gateway consists of a Gateway Control Center
(GCC)the facility that houses the computer hardware and software that manages and
monitors message trafficand a Gateway Earth Station (GES). The GES provides the
link between the satellite constellation and an ORBCOMM GCC.

EXAMPLE:
A user located in a remote location, out of range of a cellular telephone system, wants to
send an email message to another users home computer. The home computer is attached
to the Internet via an email account. The messaging sequence, using the ORBCOMM
System, proceeds as follows:
1. The remote user, equipped with a laptop computer and an ORBCOMM SC, composes
an email message on the laptop. The user downloads the message to the
SC.
2. The SC waits for a satellite to come into view. When it receives a satellites downlink
broadcast, it transmits the message to a satellite, which in turn receives, reformats, and
relays the message to a GES.
3. The GES transmits the message over a dedicated line to the GCC. The GCC places
the message on the public switched network for delivery to the recipients Internet
service provider (ISP).