Communication Subsystem Design Trends for the Defense Satellite Communications Program

The Initial Defense Communication Satellite Program (IDCSP) hasbeen implemented successfully and is handling unique and vital militaryary communications. Tradeoff studies now being made are intended todefine the characteristics of the next phases of the Defense Satellite Communications Program (DSCP). This paper discusses briefly thecommunication subsystem design of the IDCSP for backgroundfor-information, and then discusses the design trends for future phases of the DSCP.The communication subsystem for the IDCSP is characterized bya single hard-limiting, low-power repeater with a toroidal patternantenna. Future trends in design will be toward multiple beams andmultiple repeaters with very wide bandwidths, high-powerquasilinear operation, and highly directive antennas. Several alternatetransponder configurations are evaluated in this paper, and an illustrativeive example is shown. Although long life is essential to future systems,as it was to the IDCSP, the trend will be to adding more complexity inthe satellite to increase the system capacity, while at the same timerequiring less complexity in earth terminals.