Chapter: Satellite Communication : Space Segment and Satellite Link Design
Spacecraft Technology- Structure
Spacecraft
Technology- Structure:
A satellite communications system can be broadly divided into two segments—a ground segment and a space segment.
The
space segment will obviously include the satellites, but it also includes the
ground facilities needed to keep the satellites operational, these being
referred to as the tracking, telemetry, and command (TT&C) facilities. In
many networks it is common practice to employ a ground station solely for
the purpose of TT&C.
The
equipment carried aboard the satellite also can be classified according to
function. The payload refers to the equipment used to pro- vide the service for
which the satellite has been launched.
In
a communications satellite, the equipment which provides the connecting link
between the satellite’s transmit and receive antennas is referred to as the
transponder. The transponder forms one of the main sections of the payload, the other being the antenna
subsystems.In this chapter the main characteristics of certain bus systems and
payloads are described.
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