ETE 4217- Satellite

Communications & RADAR

COURSE CONDUCTED BY
SHARAF TASNIM
LECTURER, DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS & TELECOMMUNICATION
ENGINEERING, RUET.
 2
Learning Outcome

 Frequency reuse
 Geostationary Satellite
 Orbital period and velocity
 Kepler’s laws of planetary motion
 Advantages and Disadvantages of geostationary satellite
 Review Questions

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 3
Frequency reuse

 It is the process in which the same set of frequencies can be allocated to more than
one cell, provided that the cells are at a certain minimum distance apart referred to
as frequency reuse distance. The design process of selecting and allocating channels
groups for all of the cellular base station within a system is called Frequency Reuse or
Frequency Planning.
 Advantages of frequency reuse:
✓ Large coverage area
✓ Efficient spectrum utilization
✓ Enhanced system capacity

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 4
Frequency reuse

One system for effectively doubling the bandwidth and information carrying capacity of
a satellite is known as frequency reuse.
In this system, a communication satellite is provided with two identical sets of 12
transponders.
The first channel in one transponder operates on the same channel as the first
transponder in the other set, and so on. With this arrangement, the two sets of
transponders transmit in the same frequency spectrum and, therefore, appear to
interfere with each other. However, this is not the case. The two systems, although
operating on exactly the same frequencies, are isolated from each other by the use of
special antenna techniques.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 5
Frequency reuse

One technique for keeping transmissions separate is to use different antenna

polarizations.
For example, a vertically polarized antenna will not respond to a horizontally polarized
signal and vice versa. Or a left-hand circularly polarized (LHCP) antenna will not respond
to a right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) signal and vice versa.

Another technique is to use spatial isolation. By using narrow beam or spot beam
antennas,

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 6
Frequency reuse

The area on the earth covered by the satellite can be divided up into smaller
segments. Earth stations in each segment may actually use the same
frequency, but because of the very narrow beam widths of the antennas, there
is no interference between adjacent segments. This technique is referred to a
spatial-division multiple access (SDMA) in that access to the satellite depends
on location and not frequency.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 7
Geostationary satellite

 A geostationary satellite is an Earth-orbiting satellite placed at an altitude of

approximately 22,300 miles or 35,800 kilometers directly above the equator.
These satellites revolve in the same direction the Earth rotates -- west to east.
 The term geostationary comes from the fact that the satellite appears nearly
stationary in the sky to a ground-based observer. These satellites complete
one orbit in about 24 hours, which is the same amount of time it takes for the
Earth to rotate once on its axis. The satellite appears to be stationary from the
perspective of someone on the ground, as it moves in sync with the Earth's
rotation.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 8
Geostationary satellite

 Geostationary satellites are equipped with transponders that receive, amplify

and retransmit radio signals to and from Earth. These signals can be used for
a wide range of applications, including telecommunications, broadcasting,
remote sensing and navigation.

 A geostationary satellite maintains its position in space relative to the Earth's

rotation using thrusters and reaction wheels. These tools let the satellite make
small adjustments to its position as needed to keep its orbit at the same
speed as the Earth's rotation and remain in the same position above the
Earth's equator.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 9
Geostationary satellite

 A satellite can achieve a 24-hour orbit only at the 22,300-mile altitude. This orbit keeps
the geostationary satellite fixed -- or stationary -- over one longitude at the equator. It
appears fixed in the sky to ground observers.
 Before a satellite can be launched into a geostationary orbit, it's first launched into a
transfer orbit. An orbit is the curved path that an object in space must take around
another object, such as the Earth, because of the gravitational force of the other
object. A transfer orbit is an elliptical orbit that enables a satellite to move to its final
high-altitude orbit by using relatively little energy from built-in motors. Transfer orbits
are used so that the satellite's launch vehicle doesn't need to go all the way to the its
final altitude.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 10
Geostationary satellite

 Coverage:
Single geostationary satellite has a line of sight covering about one-third of the
Earth's surface. In other words, it can "see" a third of the Earth's surface wherever
it's positioned along the equator.
The satellite's orbit usually provides coverage from 20 degrees north latitude to 20
degrees south latitude. Three such satellites, each separated by 120 degrees of
longitude, can provide coverage of the entire planet with the exception of small
circular regions centered at the north and south geographic poles.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 11
Orbital Period and Orbital Velocity

 The orbital period (also revolution period) is the amount of time a given astronomical
object takes to complete one orbit around another object.

 Orbital velocity is the velocity needed to achieve balance between gravity's pull on
the satellite and the inertia of the satellite's motion -- the satellite's tendency to keep
going. This is approximately 17,000 mph (27,359 kph) at an altitude of 150 miles (242
kilometers).

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 12
Advantages of geostationary satellites

 Reliability. These satellites are known for their predictable performance. This is why
many U.S. telecom companies use them to provide backup capacity for their
telephony services.
 Variety of services. They can support voice-, data- and video-based services for their
designated region.
 Ease of use. A geostationary satellite can be accessed using a directional antenna,
which is usually a small dish, aimed at the spot in the sky where the satellite appears
to hover. These earthbound directional antennae can be aimed and then left in
position without further adjustment.
 Minimal interference. The use of highly directional antennas minimizes interference
from surface-based sources and other satellites.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 13
Advantages of geostationary satellites

 Navigational capabilities. These satellite systems can track objects on the ground with
great accuracy using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, making them ideal
for navigational purposes.
 Global imaging. These satellites provide real-time images from space, making them
useful for monitoring global climate patterns and other environmental changes.
 Long life. Geostationary satellite systems have long life spans compared with other
types of orbital structures. They remain operational up to 15 years before needing to
be replaced, whereas other orbiting equipment lasts five years or less.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 14
Limitations of geostationary satellites

 Limited numbers. The orbital zone for geostationary satellites in the plane of the
equator is a narrow ring. As a result, only a limited number of satellites can be
maintained in these orbits without the risk of conflicts or collisions.
 Latency. An electromagnetic signal travels a distance of at least 44,600 miles to and
from a geostationary satellite, adding latency of at least 240 milliseconds. Such delays
are a problem for services where low latency is required, such as long-distance voice
and video conferencing. For this reason, geostationary satellites are best for
applications where time delay is not an issue.
 High cost. Geostationary satellites are more expensive to launch into orbit than other
satellites because their high altitudes require more fuel and energy during takeoff.
The distance can also make them more expensive to maintain over their life span.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 15
Limitations of geostationary satellites

 Limited coverage. Geosynchronous satellites can only cover a limited area of Earth's
surface because they must remain stationary relative to one point on the planet's
rotation axis. To extend coverage outside this area, other satellites must be added.
 Difficult to repair or replace. Because geosynchronous orbits are so far from Earth, the
satellites can be difficult to repair or replace and can require specialized equipment.
 Positioning. The exact position of geostationary satellites relative to the Earth's surface
varies slightly over each 24-hour period because of gravitational interactions among
the satellite, Earth, sun, moon and nonterrestrial planets. This limits the sharpness of the
directional pattern and the effectiveness of Earth-based antennas.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 16
Kepler’s laws of planetary motion

 We know that satellite revolves around the earth, which is similar to the earth revolves
around the sun. So, the principles which are applied to earth and its movement
around the sun are also applicable to satellite and its movement around the earth.
 Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was one of the most accepted scientist in describing the
principle of a satellite that moves around the earth.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 17
Kepler’s First Law

 Kepler’s first law states that the

path followed by a satellite
around its primary (the earth)
will be an ellipse.
 This ellipse has two focal points
(foci) F1 and F2 as shown in the
figure below. Center of mass of
the earth will always present at
one of the two foci of the
ellipse.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 18
Kepler’s First Law

 Eccentricity "e" of this system can be written as −

 Where, a & b are the lengths of semi major axis and semi minor axis of the ellipse
respectively.
 For an elliptical path, the value of eccentricity (e) is always lie in between 0 and 1,i.e
0<e<1 since a is greater than b. Suppose, if the value of eccentricity (e) is zero, then
the path will be no more in elliptical shape, rather it will be converted into a circular
shape.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 19
Kepler’s Second Law

 Kepler’s second law states that for equal intervals of time, the area covered by the
satellite will be same with respect to center of mass of the earth. This can be
understood by taking a look at the following figure.

Assume, the satellite covers p1 and

p2 distances in the same time
interval. Then, the areas B1 and B2
covered by the satellite at those two
instances are equal.

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 20
Kepler’s Third Law

 Kepler’s third law states that, the square of the periodic time of an elliptical orbit is
proportional to the cube of its semi major axis length. Mathematically, it can be written as
follows −

 Where, is the proportionality constant.

 ‘µ = mg’ is Kepler’s constant and its value is equal to 3.986005 x 105 km3 /sec2

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 21
Kepler’s Third Law

 Kepler’s third law states that, the square of the periodic time of an elliptical orbit is
proportional to the cube of its semi major axis length. Mathematically, it can be
written as follows −

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.
 22
Review Questions

 Q.1: What is frequency reuse? How does it influence the co-channel interference?
What is the advantage of frequency reuse?
 Q.2: How do geostationary satellites work?
 Q.3: Mention the coverage/footprint of geostationary satellites.
 Q.4: Why is geostationary orbit now being employed for most commercial satellites?
(T1 page-37)
 Q.5: Derive the two body equation of motion in relative form. Or, Derive the equation
that describes the motion of a satellite. (T1 eqn 2.1)

Course No: ETE 4217 | Department of Electronics &

Telecommunication Enineering, RUET.