How do satellite communication systems work?
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Satellite communication systems are widely used for various purposes, such as television, internet, navigation, weather, and military. But how do they work? In this article, you will learn the basic principles and components of satellite communication systems and some of their applications.
A satellite communication system is a network of devices that use satellites to transmit and receive signals over long distances. A satellite is an artificial object that orbits the Earth or another celestial body and carries equipment for communication, observation, or exploration. A satellite communication system typically consists of three segments: the space segment, the ground segment, and the user segment.
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Viswesvaran D
Indépendant Consultant
Satellite ..As name implies ,it is stationed in an atmosphere above earth called Geo stationary Satellites around 25000 to 30000 km from earth surface ..Here we refer the Satellite used for Tele communication purposes. Building a network across continents were not thought of those days.So Satellite technology offered voice,data and TV broadcasting services . Primarily Satellite communications necessarily should have base station to Transmit and Receive signals .These are called Uplink and Downlink consisting of frequencies in the range of GHZ. A Satellite consists an important element called Transponder which the Telecom operator allocates the bandwidth for Voice and TV INTELSAT is one of the major provider of Telecom Services
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Mohammed Minhajuddin
5G VoNR / VoLTE / IMS / UCC / NB-IoT Specialist | TELECOM | SATCOM Service Professional | I Help end to end (E2E) Troubleshooting
Satellite communication systems function by transmitting data between ground stations and satellites in space. Ground stations send signals to satellites via uplinks, and the satellites retransmit these signals back to Earth through downlinks. User terminals on Earth, such as satellite dishes or phones, receive and process the signals, enabling two-way communication for various applications. These systems support global connectivity and serve purposes like telecommunications, broadcasting, data collection, and navigation.
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Paolo Jericho Quiniano, ECE, CCNA
I'm a network engineer with concentrations on distribution (ISP) and security. I love connecting with different people, sharing ideas and working together in an exciting and collaborative environment.
A satellite communication system enables transmission of extremely high frequency signals by using a satellite (which is an object orbiting earth) as a relay to transmit and receive signals over large distances.
The space segment is the part of the satellite communication system that includes the satellites and their orbits. The satellites are launched into space by rockets and placed in different orbits depending on their function and coverage. The most common orbits are geostationary, medium earth, and low earth orbits. The satellites have antennas, transponders, and solar panels to receive, amplify, and retransmit signals from and to the ground segment.
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Paolo Jericho Quiniano, ECE, CCNA
I'm a network engineer with concentrations on distribution (ISP) and security. I love connecting with different people, sharing ideas and working together in an exciting and collaborative environment.
The space segment receives the signal from the source ground station, amplifies it to acceptable levels, and sends it to the destination. It could involve multiple satellites to achieve longer distances.
The ground segment is the part of the satellite communication system that includes the earth stations and the control centers. The earth stations are facilities that send and receive signals from the satellites using large dish antennas. The earth stations can be fixed or mobile, depending on the application. The control centers are responsible for monitoring and controlling the satellites' operations, such as their position, orientation, and health.
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Hüseyin Aktaş
Managing Director | Satellite Telecommunication | Business Development | Operational Efficiency | IT Management | Technical Advisory | Strategic Sales |
Generally the ground segment consists of Gateway (Hub station) and remotes (end user terminals). The Hub stations have bigger antennas (like 6m, 10m) and many equipment in racks. While the remotes are based a relatively small dish and satellit modems.
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The user segment is the part of the satellite communication system that includes the devices and terminals that use the satellite signals for communication. The user segment can be divided into two categories: direct and indirect. Direct users are those who have their own terminals that can access the satellite signals directly, such as satellite phones, GPS receivers, or satellite TV dishes. Indirect users are those who use the satellite signals through an intermediary, such as a cable or wireless network, such as internet or cellular users.
Satellite communication systems have numerous applications in different fields and sectors. For example, satellite TV is a popular way of delivering television programs to viewers worldwide, while satellite internet is a method of providing internet access to remote or rural areas. Satellite navigation systems, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou, are used to determine one's location and direction. Additionally, satellite weather systems employ satellites with sensors and cameras that measure and record atmospheric parameters for analysis and dissemination. Finally, satellite military systems provide functions such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, communication, navigation, targeting, and missile defense.
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Paolo Jericho Quiniano, ECE, CCNA
I'm a network engineer with concentrations on distribution (ISP) and security. I love connecting with different people, sharing ideas and working together in an exciting and collaborative environment.
Some implementation of satellite communication systems include global positioning system (GPS) used to navigate, satellite phones to be used by ships in remote locations unreachable by other wired or wireless solutions, and satellite TV which propagates live video signal between two far continents for instance.
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Hüseyin Aktaş
Managing Director | Satellite Telecommunication | Business Development | Operational Efficiency | IT Management | Technical Advisory | Strategic Sales |
We provide broadband satellite internet services to our customers. Nowadays satellite internet solutions are one of the main applications of satellite communications. Especially in rural areas it is very critical to get communicated.
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Paolo Jericho Quiniano, ECE, CCNA
I'm a network engineer with concentrations on distribution (ISP) and security. I love connecting with different people, sharing ideas and working together in an exciting and collaborative environment.
It is important to take note that some signals can be absorbed (entirely or partially) by the atmosphere. This changes depending on the weather, so it is vital to select the correct frequency taking into consideration the required bandwidth for the link and the maximum range (critical angle).