Communications satellite business ventures : Measuring the impact of technology programmes and related policies

Both commercial organizations and government agencies invest in spacecraft technology programmes aimed at increasing the performance of communications satellites. Government agencies also make policy decisions which may affect communications satellite business ventures. This article describes an economic evaluation and planning tool which has been developed to assess the impact of various policies on typical fixed satellite service business ventures. The methodology is based upon a stochastic financial simulation model (DOMSAT II) which allows for consideration of reliability and various market, performance and cost uncertainties. Results of the assessment of NASA on-orbit and space power technology programmes are presented, as are results of insurance v self insurance decisions and the choice of transportation system.     

Competitiveness of commercial space transportation services

Competition between the providers of space transportation has become intense with the distinct possibility of governments providing both direct and indirect subsidies in order to influence transportation user choices. This bodes well for users of transportation services but has serious ramifications with regard to the future makeup of the international space transportation industry. This paper addresses the following key issues: selecting a launch service given a decision to establish a business to provide satellite communication services; establishing the price that should be bid by a launch provider in order to have a specified chance of being awarded the launch contract; and assessing the possibility that a launch provider is utilizing unfair or predatory pricing in order to increase the likelihood of winning launch contracts and thereby increasing market share. A method is developed and results presented based upon establishing ‘value in use’ pricing that explicitly takes into account the multiple attributes of alternative launch services. This leads to an assessment of ‘predatory’ pricing in terms of the value in use pricing.     

Effects of uncertainties and flexible dynamic contributions on the control of a spacecraft full-coupled model

One of the most important problems for performing a good design of the spacecraft attitude control law is connected to its robustness when some uncertainty parameters are present on the inertial and/or on the elastic characteristics of a satellite. These uncertainties are generally intrinsic on the modeling of complex structures and in the case of large flexible structures they can be also attributed to secondary effects associated to the elasticity. One of the most interesting issues in modeling large flexible space structures is associated to the evaluation of the inertia tensor which in general depends not only on the geometric ‘fixed’ characteristic of the satellite but also on its elastic displacements which of course in turn modify the ‘shape’ of the satellite. Usually these terms can be considered of a second order of magnitude if compared with the ones associated to the rigid part of a structure. However the increasing demand on the dimension of satellites due to the presence for instance of very large solar arrays (necessary to generate power) and/or large antennas has the necessity to investigate their effects on their global dynamic behavior in more details as a consequence. In the present paper a methodology based on classical Lagrangian approach coupled with a standard Finite Element tool has been used to derive the full dynamic equations of an orbiting flexible satellite under the actions of gravity, gravity gradient forces and attitude control. A particular attention has been paid to the study of the effects of flexibility on the inertial terms of the spacecraft which, as well known, influence its attitude dynamic behavior. Furthermore the effects of the attitude control authority and its robustness to the uncertainties on inertial and elastic parameters has been investigated and discussed.     

Technological learning through international collaboration: Lessons from the field

Countries on every continent are making new or renewed commitments to domestic satellite programs. These programs have the potential to address national needs by enhancing access to information, improving infrastructure and providing inspiration to the public. How do countries without local expertise in space technology begin a new satellite program? What is the role of international collaboration in supporting the efforts of a new space fairing country? This paper explores such questions by highlighting outputs from intensive field work in Africa and Asia. Specifically, the study explores case studies of early space activity in these countries to search for lessons about the management of a young space program. The observations from field work are compared to ideas from scholarly literature on technological learning. The findings are organized using principles from systems architecture. The paper presents a model that captures many of the influences and strategic decision areas for a collaborative satellite development project. The paper also highlights the growth of capability among African countries in the area of satellite technology.     

动态跳波束策略中的自适应波束功率分配算法

摘要：多波束卫星发射机的成本很高，同时地面小区的通信需求和通信优先级一直处在动态变化中。通过研究一种动态波束跳跃策略，实现在卫星资源受限和较少发射机数量约束下的广域覆盖和按需服务。区别于传统的分簇波束跳变思想，为了提高卫星系统的频谱效率，考虑在整个频率带宽上应用全局波束跳变。因此考虑在共信道干扰背景下，提出一种新型服务质量指标来衡量波束跳变结果。在卫星资源有限的情况下，各波束提供的通信容量不能满足地面小区的业务请求，基于粒子群算法选择的波束跳动图案，提出了一种自适应波束功率分配算法。该算法通过优先级加权，最小化波束业务容量需求差值，进而提高服务质量水平。最后，通过仿真验证了所提算法的性能优越性。     

面向卫星通信系统的低成本超表面相控阵技术

低轨通信卫星系统因其传输延迟小、通信容量大、发射运营成本低等优势,受到了国内外的广泛关注。然而,低轨通信卫星技术的发展对星载天线系统提出了挑战。为提高卫星星座的通信容量以及实现对用户的跟踪覆盖,波束扫描、波束可重构及多波束覆盖不可或缺。在低成本建设运营的背景下,迫切地需要一种低成本的天线系统方案。作为一种低成本新型相控阵技术,综述了超表面相控阵天线技术及其在波束调控中的应用。首先对超表面天线波束形成的方法进行了简单的研究,之后介绍了超表面电磁调控的机理以及实现可重构的手段,最后介绍了超表面相控阵天线在波束形成、波束扫描、多波束产生中的应用。该技术相较于传统相控阵技术,大幅降低了成本,且在电磁波极化、频率调控中展现出巨大的灵活性。通过对该技术的综述,展望了超表面相控阵在低轨通信卫星中的应用。     

Feasibility assessment of optical technologies for reliable high capacity feeder links

Space telecom scenarios like data relay satellite and broadband/broadcast service providers require reliable feeder links with high bandwidth/data rate for the communication between ground station and satellite. Free space optical communication (FSOC) is an attractive alternative to microwave links, improving performance by offering abundant bandwidth at small apertures of the optical terminals. At the same time Near-Earth communication by FSOC avoids interference with other services and is free of regulatory issues. The drawback however is the impairment by the laser propagation through the atmosphere at optical wavelengths. Also to be considered are questions of eye safety for ground personnel and aviation. In this paper we assess the user requirements for typical space telecom scenarios and compare these requirements with solutions using optical data links through the atmosphere. We suggest a site diversity scheme with a number of ground stations and a switching scheme using two optical terminals on-board the satellite. Considering the technology trade-offs between four different optical wavelengths we recommend the future use of 1.5 µm laser technology and calculate a link budget for an atmospheric condition of light haze on the optical path. By comparing link budgets we show an outlook to the future potential use of 10 µm laser technology.     

卫星成本预测的蒙特卡洛优化模型研究

传统的卫星成本预测模型预测结果单一，未考虑相应的不确定性因素。对此，提出了基于蒙特卡洛方法的卫星成本预测模型。该模型综合考虑了卫星成本技术的不确定性并给出了预测值的区间范围和概率分布。为了降低应用该模型所产生的误差，提出了最优分层抽样的方法，并通过划分分层区间提高了抽样的效率。最后，将收集到的相关数据代人该模型，其结果精度大约提高了10％左右。可见，使用优化的蒙特卡洛方法进行卫星成本预测具有较好的精确度。     

Location-aware channel estimation for capacity gains on multibeam satellite links

Bandwidth is an expensive and scarce resource, thus its efficient exploitation is of paramount importance. Recent communication satellites feature sophisticated spatial access strategies through spot beams providing this way a total throughput in the range of 100 Gbit/s. Next generations of communication satellites, as postulated in the Satellite Communications Network of Experts (SatNEx) III, a project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) for advanced research in satellite communications, require technological developments to achieve the Tbit/s region. Multibeam architectures formed by a central gateway, a multibeam satellite, and an aggressive frequency reuse strategy can meet such ambitious design goals. Interference problems are tackled by appropriate countermeasures such as (joint) precoding and beamforming on the forward link as well as multi-user detection on the return link; these methods require accurate and timely knowledge of the channel state, which in turn necessitates suitable algorithms for channel estimation. This paper addresses performance issues related to channel state estimation on the symbol-synchronous forward link and the frame-synchronous return link. It highlights for both directions the potential performance gain by assuming a priori knowledge of the user position, in this context referred to as location-aware channel estimation.     

Advanced high capacity domestic satellite communications system

This paper describes a concept of multibeam high capacity transmission possible with a 30/20 GHz and 50/40 GHz domestic satellite communication system. The relationship between satellite antenna pointing accuracy and multi-beam antenna interference, as well as the relationship between satellite antenna pointing accuracy and multi-satellite interference are looked at.The ultra high capacity domestic satellite communication system will have multi-beam antennas with a 76.0 dB at both 20 GHz and 40 GHz. These antennas will provide 4950 beams that approximately correspond to the number of end office of the Japanese telephone network, and have a pointing accuracy of 0.005 degrees. This system will be equipped with 9900 30/20 GHz and 50/40 GHz transponder channels with bit rates of 800 Mbps. Its capacity will be 119 Tbps through use of 15 large communication satellite platforms.     

Is space an environment?

Expanding the human sphere of influence beyond Earth presents philosophical questions that also have important practical applications. Do we need to worry about the moral implications of our actions in the vastness of space? What kind of explorers will we be - and what kind of explorers should we be? The answers to these basic questions depend greatly on what moral status is assigned to space; how it is conceptualized. This article sets forth arguments both for and against considering space as an environment, that is, as a place deserving of ethical treatment in the same way that terrestrial environments are valued and respected in environmental ethics. It sketches some answers to how space exploration could meet high ethical standards and puts forward the notion of environmental ‘virtue ethics’.     

基于移动式网络的LEO卫星星座通信网络研究

为飞机等交通工具内的用户提供基于卫星的不间断IP连接，并在卫星星座网络内实现IP路由选择功能，是未来LEO卫星星座通信网络需要解决的关键问题。提出了基于移动式网络技术的LEO卫星星座通信网络体系结构，实现了卫星星座通信网络中的IP路由选择功能，并降低了对地面网路的依赖，实现了对用户段网络随时随地的连接支持。在对卫星星座通信网络中的星地切换模式进行分析的基础上，提出了一种基于虚拟移动路由器的快速星地切换和认证方法。通过NS2仿真试验，给出了新型LEO卫星星座通信网络的传输延迟特性以及快速切换方法的仿真试验结果。仿真试验表明，提出的网络结构是满足未来卫星星座发展需求的，星地间的切换是低时延的。     

Economic methods of improving efficient use of the orbit/spectrum resource by satellite systems

Satellite systems continue to play an important role in the booming market for communication and broadcasting services, driving up demand for use of the orbit/spectrum resource. Studies are required to address the problem of orbit capacity and find ways of making more efficient use of it, to avoid a situation in which there is not enough orbit/spectrum resource to cater for the development of future satellite networks. It is argued that, as far as satellite networks are concerned, the current international regulatory regime governing the use of the spectrum has significant shortcomings, which have a cost, in terms of resources and time, and make investment in satellite projects less attractive. An approach is proposed for improving efficiency of the use of the orbit/spectrum through the introduction of economic methods, to supplement the existing technical and regulatory regime. A spectrum pricing method is proposed for satellite communication systems.     

低轨巨型星座网络容量评估与分析

低轨卫星网络可以提供广覆盖、低时延、大容量的通信服务和随遇接入的网络服务,可有效弥补地面通信网络和高轨卫星网络的不足。近年来“星链”“一网”等星座项目推动了低轨巨型星座的飞速发展。卫星网络容量是网络性能评价的重要指标,传统方法计算复杂度高、耗时长,且计算开销随网络节点数迅速增加,在巨型星座网络评估中产生巨大计算开销。面向低轨巨型星座网络容量评估问题,提出了一种基于最大流的网络容量评估方法,与传统方法相比计算复杂度和计算耗时大大降低。以“星链”星座为例,分析了星座构型、星间链路拓扑连接方式、链路容量及用户需求量对巨型星座网络容量的影响。仿真分析结果对未来低轨巨型星座网络建设具有指导意义。     

Satellite-aided land mobile radio experiments,applications and problems

Radio communications between vehicles or individuals and base stations are essential to many public safety, law enforcement and commercial users in urban areas. Present day communications are limited to nearly line-of-sight distances from the vehicle or hand portable units to a base station or repeater. It is probable that many potential users in rural, remote and offshore areas would benefit if the communications were available everywhere on land and territorial waters. Geosynchronous satellites can serve as repeaters for mobile and personal radios, and they appear to be a cost effective means of providing the service.Voice bandwidth communication and automatic position monitoring of an automobile were tested using the VHF transponders of NASAs ATS-3 and ATS-1 satellites. Voice communications were reliable and position fixes were accurate to one fourth mile, with 0.3 mile precision of individual fixes.Demonstrations for potential users have included emergency medical voice and telemetry communications between ambulances and hospitals.While technical feasibility of satellite-aided mobile and personal communications has been demonstrated, and its potential value is appreciated by a small segment of the user community, many problems remain before an operational system could be implemented. Solutions to the problems require an experimental satellite with a multibeam antenna. The satellite or its associated ground terminals should incorporate computer controlled network switching to test demand assignment of channels. Prolonged experience by many users of the experimental satellite in their routine operations would aggregate user needs and define the capital investment that would be justified to implement a commercial operating system.     

Space insurance : Comments from an observer

The space insurance industry has suffered serious financual setbacks in recent years. These setbacks, amounting to a net cash outflow of hundreds of millions of dollars, have resulted in substantial increases in insurance rates and the withdrawal of a number of firms from the launch insurance market. After two decades of commerial space activity a number of questions may be raised: What has been learned from the experience to date? What are the causes of the poor performance of the space insurance industry? What can be done to improve performance? What are the likely prospects of the insurance industry and the likely impacts on the communications satellite industry? In order to answer these questions several examples are considered and analytic approaches discussed. The implications of mission modes, failure/recovery paths and multiple correlated payloads are considered, and analytic approaches based upon computer simulation techniques are described which are required to understand the complex insurance environment and the setting of policies and rate structures.     

Design of meo constellations for galileo: towards a “design to cost” approach

GALILEO aims at involving Europe in a new generation of satellite navigation services. In the context of the phase A of this programme, many system options are still widely open: detailed requirements, constraints and hypotheses are not yet fully stabilised.In order to design a satellite constellation satisfying civil aviation and other users needs in this early stage of the system definition, it is necessary not only to take into account classical performance aspects, such as accuracy and availability of accuracy, but also cost constraints. The paper describes the design and dimensioning method which has led ALCATEL to propose a set of MEO constellations in the frame of the GALILEO project for ESA. It especially places emphasis upon the sensitivity of the system design to numerous parameters as well as its sensitivity to performance requirements.Potential candidate constellations obviously need to meet given performance specifications which are determined by operational aspects such as: satellite reliability, maintenance strategy (spare in orbit, launch on schedule, launch on need), deployment strategy (launcher choice, etc.). The estimated cost of a potential solution is mainly derived from the number of satellites and the deployment/maintenance strategy, but it is representative of the whole life-cycle of the constellation. Furthermore, the exhibited solution shall be “as robust as” possible to requirement or assumption changes. So, it should be a baseline solution that could be easily updated in order to take into account small upgrades.This has led to the performance of some trend analyses to understand the actual influence of some constraints or requirements on the system design, and to see how initial requirements can be efficiently relaxed in order to obtain the maximum system cost diminution for a minimum constraint relaxation. This will be very useful, if cost reduction is necessary, to quickly propose alternative or sub-solutions to the baseline one.     

Plastic Cubesat: An innovative and low-cost way to perform applied space research and hands-on education

This paper describes the design and the manufacturing of a Cubesat platform based on a plastic structure.The Cubesat structure has been realized in plastic material (ABS) using a “rapid prototyping” technique. The “rapid prototyping” technique has several advantages including fast implementation, accuracy in manufacturing small parts and low cost. Moreover, concerning the construction of a small satellite, this technique is very useful thanks to the accuracy achievable in details, which are sometimes difficult and expensive to realize with the use of tools machine. The structure must be able to withstand the launch loads. For this reason, several simulations using an FEM simulation and an intensive vibration test campaign have been performed in the system development and test phase. To demonstrate that this structure is suitable for hosting a complete satellite system, offering innovative integrated solutions, other subsystems have been developed and assembled.Despite its small size, this single unit (1U) Cubesat has a system for active attitude control, a redundant telecommunication system, a payload camera and a photovoltaic system based on high efficiency solar cells.The developed communication subsystem has small dimensions, low power consumption and low cost. An example of the innovations introduced is the antenna system, which has been manufactured inside the ABS structure. The communication protocol which has been implemented, the AX.25 protocol, is mainly used by radio amateurs. The communication system has the capability to transmit both telemetry and data from the payload, in this case a microcamera.The attitude control subsystem is based on an active magnetic system with magnetorquers for detumbling and momentum dumping and three reaction wheels for fine control. It has a total dimension of about 50×50×50 mm. A microcontroller implements the detumbling control law autonomously taking data from integrated magnetometers and executes pointing maneuvers on the basis of commands received in real time from ground.The subsystems developed for this Cubesat have also been designed to be scaled up for larger satellites such as 2U or 3U Cubesats. The additional volume can be used for more complex payloads. Thus the satellite can be used as a low cost platform for companies, institutions or universities to test components in space.     

Feasibility of using statellites in non-equatorial 24-hour circular orbits for communications

The early sixties witnessed the debate among competing candidate orbits that led to the emergence of perfect geostationary systems as virtually the sole “instruments” for satellite communication. The subsequent problem of overcrowding of geostationary ring on one hand and explosive growth in demand on communication capacity on the other led comsat experts to focus on the alternate routes through various near-earth and medium attitude satellite constellations later proposed for uninterrupted communication. However, the opportunities thrown up by quasi-stationary orbits for augmentation of the space communication capacity have gone abegging. This paper attempts to draw attention of communication satellite designers/planners to the immense potential for utilization of the non-equatorial, 24-hour circular orbits for communication. For the proposed quasi-stationary orbits, the change and/or control of the inclination of the plane is not envisaged in the launch and/or operational phase. The resulting significant payload weight advantage is associated with the problem of periodic as well as secular apparent angular satellite drift relative to the ground terminal. However, the problem may be largely overcome through controlled satellite tilting using solar radiation pressure or through the use of tethered auxiliary mass attachment. Alternatively, it may be possible to overcome the attitude control problem by the use of systems such as on-bard electronically steerable phased array antenna capable of following the line-of-sight to the co-operative ground station.     

区域覆盖低轨卫星移动通信系统星座优化设计

针对区域覆盖低轨卫星移动通信系统星座,提出了一种改进遗传算法(GA)的优化设计。根据改进的区域覆盖星座模型,采用可变维数优化的整数与实数混合的染色体编码。给出了算法步骤。某区域覆盖低轨卫星移动通信系统星座优化设计算例结果显示了该算法的有效性。