Department of Mass Communication

Third Sessional Exam 2022

Paper: Communication Technology

Topic: Satellite Communication

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Prof.Dev Vrat Singh Aditi Shankar
Reg. No.: 21110402005
 Communication Satellites

A communications satellite is a wireless communication device in Earth’s orbit that uses a

transponder to send and receive data from Earth. It is primarily used to redirect communication
data from one Earth-based communication station to another station.

Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. The
antennas then capture those signals and process the information coming from those signals.

If you want to send something like a TV broadcast from one side of Earth to the other, there are
three stages involved. First, there's the uplink, where data is beamed up to the satellite from a
ground station on Earth. Next, the satellite processes the data using a number of onboard
transponders (radio receivers, amplifiers, and transmitters). These boost the incoming signals and
change their frequency, so incoming signals don't get confused with outgoing ones. Different
transponders in the same satellite are used to handle different TV stations carried on different
frequencies. Finally, there's the downlink, where data is sent back down to another ground station
elsewhere on Earth.

Sputnik 1 is the world’s first artificial satellite. It was launched into space on 4 October 1957 by
the Soviet Union. Since then, about 8,900 satellites from more than 40 countries have been
launched.

Satellite Types

Commercial satellite communications services are grouped into three general categories:
 ● Fixed Satellite Services (FSS), which use ground equipment at set locations to receive
and transmit satellite signals. FSS satellites support the majority of our domestic and
international services, from international internet connectivity to private business
networks.
● Mobile Satellite Services (MSS), which use a variety of transportable receiver and
transmitter equipment to provide communication services for land mobile, maritime and
aeronautical customers
● Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS), which offer high transmission power for reception
using very small ground equipment. BSS is best known for direct-to-consumer television
and broadband applications such as DIRECTV.

Satellite Orbits

An orbit is the curved path that an object in space (such as a star, planet, moon, asteroid or
spacecraft) takes around another object due to gravity
There are many factors that decide which orbit would be best for a satellite to use, depending on
what the satellite is designed to achieve.

● Geostationary orbit (GEO) - Satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) circle Earth above
the equator from west to east following Earth’s rotation – taking 23 hours 56 minutes and
4 seconds – by traveling at exactly the same rate as Earth. This makes satellites in GEO
appear to be ‘stationary’ over a fixed position. GEO is used by satellites that need to stay
constantly above one particular place over Earth, such as telecommunication satellites.
● Low Earth orbit (LEO)- A low Earth orbit (LEO) is, as the name suggests, an orbit that
is relatively close to Earth’s surface. It is normally at an altitude of less than 1000 km but
could be as low as 160 km above Earth – which is low compared to other orbits, but still
very far above Earth’s surface. LEO’s close proximity to Earth makes it useful for several
reasons. It is the orbit most commonly used for satellite imaging, as being near the
surface allows it to take images of higher resolution. It is also the orbit used for the
International Space Station (ISS), as it is easier for astronauts to travel to and from it at a
shorter distance.

● Medium Earth orbit (MEO)- Medium Earth orbit comprises a wide range of orbits
anywhere between LEO and GEO. It is similar to LEO in that it also does not need to
take specific paths around Earth, and it is used by a variety of satellites with many
different applications. It is very commonly used by navigation satellites, like the
European Galileo system

● Polar orbit and Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)- Satellites in polar orbits usually travel
past Earth from north to south rather than from west to east, passing roughly over Earth's
poles.Satellites in a polar orbit do not have to pass the North and South Pole precisely;
even a deviation within 20 to 30 degrees is still classed as a polar orbit. Polar orbits are a
type of low Earth orbit, as they are at low altitudes between 200 to 1000 km.
Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is a particular kind of polar orbit. Satellites in SSO,
traveling over the polar regions, are synchronous with the Sun. This means they are
synchronized to always be in the same ‘fixed’ position relative to the Sun

● Transfer orbits and geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)- Transfer orbits are a special
kind of orbit used to get from one orbit to another. When satellites are launched from
Earth and carried to space with launch vehicles such as Ariane 5, the satellites are not
always placed directly on their final orbit. Often, the satellites are instead placed on a
transfer orbit: an orbit where, by using relatively little energy from built-in motors, the
satellite or spacecraft can move from one orbit to another.
This allows a satellite to reach, for example, a high-altitude orbit like GEO without actually
needing the launch vehicle to go all the way to this altitude, which would require more effort –
this is like taking a shortcut.

Advantages of Satellite Communication

● Installments of circuits are easy.

● The elasticity of these circuits is excellent.
● With the help of satellite communication, every corner of the earth can be covered.
● Transmission cost is independent of coverage area
● More bandwidth and broadcasting possibilites
● User fully controls the network.

Disadvantages of Satellite Communication

● Initial expenditure is expensive.

● There are chances of blockage of frequencies.
● Propagation and interference.
● Difficult to provide repairing activities if any problem occurs in a satellite system.

Applications of Satellite Communication

● Telephone- A phone that works by connecting to a telecommunications satellite in space.

Unlike the mobile phone and the GSM network, its efficiency does not depend on the
terrestrial transmission antennas installed by different mobile operators to cover a
territory.

● Television- A wireless system for delivering television programmes directly to a viewer's

house. It relies on transmitting data from a communications satellite in outer space.
 ● Digital cinema- Television satellites are located in geosynchronous orbit. There are two
types of satellite television distribution -
1) Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)
2) Television receive only (TVRO)

● Radio broadcasting- Satellite radio, also called subscription radio (SR) or digital radio is
a satellite-based radio broadcast service. It is a type of digital broadcast, which transmits
audio signals over large areas with greater clarity and consistency than conventional
radio.

● Amateur radio- amateur radio, also called ham radio is a noncommercial two-way radio
communication. It uses designated radio frequencies assigned by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States and the International
Telecommunication Union worldwide, through which messages are sent either by voice
or in International Morse Code.

● Disaster Management- Satellite imagery and GIS maps can give emergency and disaster
response officials a wealth of information for assessment, analysis of natural disasters.

● Internet applications such as providing Internet connection for data transfer, GPS
applications, Internet surfing, etc.

● Military applications and navigations

● Remote sensing applications

● Weather condition monitoring & Forecasting

History of Satellite Communication in India

Space research activities were initiated in our country during the early 1960’s, when applications
using satellites were in experimental stages even in the United States. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the
founding father of the Indian space programme, recognized the benefits of space technologies for
India. Dr. Sarabhai was convinced and envisioned that the resources in space have the potential
to address the real problems of man and society. He convened an army of able and brilliant
scientists, anthropologists, communicators and social scientists from all corners of the country to
spearhead the Indian space programme. The INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space
Research) was initiated under the leadership of Dr. Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan. In 1967, the
first ‘Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station (ESCES)’ located in Ahmedabad was
operationalized, which also doubled as a training centre for the Indian as well as international
scientists and engineers. The first Indian spacecraft ‘Aryabhata’ was developed and was
launched using a Soviet Launcher in 1975.

Satellite Instructional Television Experiment

The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE), was hailed as ‘the largest sociological
experiment in the world’ during 1975-76. It benefited around 200,000 people, covering 2400
villages of six states and transmitted development oriented programmes using the American
Technology Satellite (ATS-6). SITE was followed by the Satellite Telecommunication
Experiments Project (STEP), a joint project of ISRO and Post and Telegraphs Department (P&T)
using the Franco-German Symphonie satellite during 1977-79. Conceived as a sequel to SITE
which focused on Television, STEP was for telecommunication experiments.

Another major landmark was the development of the first launch vehicle SLV-3 with a capability
to place 40 kg in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which had its first successful flight in 1980.

Satellite Communication Policy

In 1997, the Department of Space, in partnership with the Department of Telecommunication and
the Department of Science and Technology, framed the Satellite Communication Policy, 1997
(SATCOM Policy). As the SATCOM Policy did not specify the manner in which the policy can
be implemented, the Department of Space, in the year 2000, formulated the norms, guidelines
and procedures for implementing the framework of SATCOM Policy. The norms and guidelines
issued by the Department of Space focused on the use and development of the INSAT network,
preferential treatment to Indian satellites, allocation of capacity for use of Indian satellites by
private market players etc.

However, both the SATCOM Policy and the subsequent guidelines, after their initial hype, failed
to generate private participation due to due lack of transparency and government interference
including from the Indian Space Research Organisation. As a result, Indian space industry
continues to be totally Government controlled, managed, and operated. Even the satellite
communication is till date governed by the SATCOM Policy and the norms and guidelines
framed in 2000.

Indian Satellites

ISRO has established two major space systems, the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT)
series for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services which are
Geostationary Satellites, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) system for resources
monitoring and management which are Earth Observation Satellites.

The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system is one of the largest domestic communication
satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region with nine operational communication satellites placed
in Geo-stationary orbit. Established in 1983 with commissioning of INSAT-1B, it initiated a
major revolution in India’s communications sector and sustained the same later. GSAT-17 joins
the constellation of INSAT System consisting 15 operational satellites, namely - INSAT-3A , 3C,
4A, 4B, 4CR and GSAT-6, 7,8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18.

The INSAT system with more than 200 transponders in the C, Extended C and Ku-bands
provides services to telecommunications, television broadcasting, satellite newsgathering,
societal applications, weather forecasting, disaster warning and Search and Rescue operations.
Recently, ISRO has launched India’s high throughput communication satellite GSAT31 from a
spaceport in French Guiana followed by GSAT-7A. These Satellites will augment the Ku-band
transponder capacity in Geostationary Orbit and are planning to usher in an age of high-speed
internet connectivity in the country with the launch of heavy-duty communication satellites.

GSAT-11 & GSAT-20 will be launched from Europe & India respectively. GSAT-29 will be
launched through the GSLV MK III from India. On June 5, 2017 ISRO had launched GSAT-19,
which too carried Ka-band and Ku-band high bandwidth communication transponders. The
satellites will use multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates at a high
frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. Together, all these satellites will
provide high bandwidth connectivity of up to 100 gigabit per second. These satellites will reuse
beams (signals) several times in order to cover the entire country.

On December 17, 2020, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched
India’s 42nd communications satellite from the Space centre located at the Sriharikota island.The
CMS-01 satellite is a communications satellite launched with the intention of replacing the aging
GSAT-12 satellite launched in 2011. It will also provide an extended-C band of the frequency
spectrum which will improve services like tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster management
support and satellite Internet access.According to ISRO, the coverage provided by the satellite
will cover the Indian mainland as well as the outlying islands of Lakshadweep and the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands.

From India's first satellite Aryabhatta launched in 1975 to EOS-04 in 2022, India’s space journey
has spanned 47 years and over 120 satellites.