Satellite Subsystems

1. Mechanical structure
2. Propulsion subsystem
3. Thermal control subsystem
4. Power supply subsystem
5. Telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) subsystem
6. Attitude and orbit control subsystem
7. Payload subsystem
8. Antenna subsystem
 7. Antenna System
An antenna is used to radiate electromagnetic energy efficiently and in desired
directions. Antennas act as matching systems between sources of electromagnetic
energy and space. Feeder loss is due to cable loss.
 RECIPROCITY THEOREM
The Reciprocity Theorem states that if current I is induced in an Antenna B which
is working on receiving mode, this current is applied by the EMF at the terminals
of the antenna A that is working on the transmitting mode. Now if the same EMF
is applied to the terminals of B, then it will induce the same current at the
terminals of A.
Satellite beam
• Antennas The antenna systems on the spacecraft are used for transmitting and receiving the
RF signals that comprise the space links of the communications channels.
• The most important parameters that define the performance of an antenna are antenna gain,
antenna beamwidth, and antenna sidelobes
• The common types of antennas used in satellite systems are the linear dipole, the horn
antenna 20 dbi, the parabolic reflector 25dbi, and the array antenna. The linear dipole
antenna is an isotropic radiator that radiates uniformly in all directions. Four or more dipole
antennas are placed on the spacecraft to obtain a nearly omni-directional pattern. Dipole
antennas are used primarily at VHF and UHF for tracking, telemetry, and command links.
Dipole antennas are also important during launch operations, where the spacecraft attitude has
not yet been established, and for satellites that operate without attitude control or body
stabilization (particularly for LEO systems).

• There is increasing interest in the use of array antennas for satellite communications
applications. A steerable, focused beam can be formed by combining the radiation from
several small elements made up of dipoles, helices, or horns. Beam forming can be
achieved by electronically phase shifting the signal at each element. Proper selection of the
phase characteristics between the elements allows the direction and beamwidth to be
controlled, without physical movement of the antenna system. The array antenna gain
increases with the square of the number of elements. Gains and beamwidths comparable
to those available from parabolic reflector antennas can be achieved with array
antennas.
 Antenna Parameters
1.Gain
2.Effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP)
3. Beam width
4. Bandwidth
5. Polarization
6. Aperture
Radiation Pattern
 Two principle planes in the radiation pattern

E-plane- Phi = 90 degrees, theta = 0 to 360 degrees

H-plane Phi = 0 to 360 , theta = 90
 1. Beam Width
The beam width gives angular characteristics of the radiation pattern of the
antenna. It is taken as the angular separation either between the half power points
on its power density radiation pattern or between −3 dB points on the field intensity
radiation pattern.
 1.Gain

The power gain of an antenna is defined as the ratio of the power density at a given
distance in the direction of maximum radiation intensity to the power density at the same
distance due to an isotropic radiator for the same input power fed to the two antennas

OR
Example:
Example 2
 Polarization
Polarization

Axial ratio = 1
Axial ratio = 0 Axial ratio = 1 to 
  𝑬𝟐
𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐=
𝑬𝟏
 Types
1. Reflector antennas:
of Antennas
A reflector antenna, made in different types, shapes and configurations
depending upon the shape of the reflector and type of feed mechanism type in
all those applications that require high gain and directivity. A reflector
antenna in essence comprises a reflector and a feed antenna (Horn antenna).
Depending upon the shape of the reflector and feed mechanism, different
types of reflector antenna configurations are available.
The basic design parameters of the focal point fed reflector antenna are the size of the
reflector, focal length, the feed antenna’s beam pattern and the feed blockage of the
reflector surface. The size of the reflector and its illumination pattern determine the
antenna gain, the beam width and to some extent the side lobe pattern as well. The
gain of such an antenna can be computed from
 2. Horn Antennas
Just as in the case of a transmission line with open-circuit load end, not all the electromagnetic
energy is reflected and some of it does escape to the surrounding atmosphere; the same is also
true for waveguides.
It is observed that the energy coupling of the transmission line to the atmosphere could be
enhanced and the radiation efficiency significantly improved by opening out the open end of
the line and straightening the conductors so as to take the shape of the dipole.
In case of horn antenna we call it as is a horn antenna,

Figure 4.34 (a) Sectoral horn antenna, (b) rectangular

pyramidal horn antenna and (c) conical horn antenna.
(d) important design parameters of a horn antenna
 3. Helical Antenna
• The Helical antenna is a broadband VHF (very high
frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) antenna.
• In addition to its broadband capability, it has found most
of its applications as a result of the circularly polarized
waves that it produces.
• VHF and UHF propagation undergoes a random change
in its polarization as it propagates through the
atmosphere due to various factors, like the Earth’s
magnetic field, ionization of different regions of the
atmosphere, with Faraday’s rotation being the main
cause. The propagation becomes more severely affected
in the case of trans-ionospheric communications, such as
those involving satellites.
• Circular polarization is to a large extent immune to these
polarization changes.
• This antenna has two modes of operation, with one
producing a circularly or elliptically polarized broadside
pattern with the emitted wave perpendicular to the
helical axis and the other producing a circularly
polarized end-fire pattern with the emitted wave along
the helical axis.
• For the first mode, the helix circumference is much
smaller than the operating wavelength, whereas for the
second mode, which is the more common of the two, the
helix circumference is equal to the operating wavelength.
Figure 4.37 shows the photograph of a helical fed
 4. Phased Array
• A phased array antenna is the one where the radiated beam (the
axis of the main lobe of the radiated beam) can be steered
electronically without any physical movement of the antenna
structure.
• This is done by feeding the elements of the array with signals
having a certain fixed phase difference between adjacent
elements of the array during transmission. The receive steering
uses the same phase angles as the transmit steering due to the
antenna reciprocity principle.
• The elements used in the array are usually either horns or
microstrip antennas and the array can have any one of a large
number of available configurations.
 Phase array continue…
• A linear array is a one dimensional array with multiple elements along its length
lying on a single line [Figure 4.40(a)]. This type of array, quite understandably,
would be capable of steering the beam only in one direction, depending on the
orientation of the array. A planar array is a two-dimensional array with multiple
elements in both dimensions, with all its elements lying on the same plane [Figure
4.40(b)]. Such an array is capable of steering the beam in both azimuth and
elevation. The steering angle θ between the antenna axis and the observation axis,
the phase difference between adjacent elements of the array , operating wavelength
(λ) and the spacing between adjacent elements S are interrelated by
GOVIB-satellite
 Exercise-phased array
• A linear periodic array of five elements has an inter-element spacing of 10
cm (Figure 4.42). If the operating frequency is 2.5 GHz, determine the
desired phase angles of all the elements, if the beam is to be steered by 10◦
towards the right side of the array axis. The phase for element-1 can be
taken as zero.
Digital Communication
 EQUIPMENT RELIABILITY AND SPACE
QUALIFICATION
• Reliability Reliability is counted by considering the proper working of
satellites critical components. Reliability could be improved by making the
critical components redundant. Components with a limited lifetime such as
travelling wave tube amplifier etc should be made redundant. When used
as receiver RF amplifiers they are characterized by high gain, low noise
figure and wide bandwidth, and are known as low noise amplifiers
(LNAS). These usually come with tube, mount and power supply in one
integral unit, with no external adjustments to make-just input socket,
output socket and mains supply connections. A typical LNA has an octave
bandwidth (eg 2-4 GHz), 30 dB gain, 8 dB noise figure, and a saturated
power output of 10 mW, within a volume of 2 in by 2 in by 10 in.
Even through the reliability can be improved by adding redundant devices and
components, the weight of the satellite increases which again becomes a problem.
Redundant component also increase the cost of the satellite. The two major cost
components are: o Cost of equipment together with the switching and failure sensing
mechanism used. o The associated increase in weight of the satellite resulting in an
increased launch cost. Optimization techniques are performed for cost minimization
purpose.
Rudency connections
References:
1. Dennis Roddy, “Satellite Communications”, Fourth Edition McGraw-Hil, 2006.
2. Anil K. Maini and Varsha Agrawal, SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY
PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium,
Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom
3 M. Richharia, Mobile Satellite Communication: Principles and Trends, Pearson
Education
4. Rappaort, Wireless Communications Principals and Practices
5. YI Bing Lin , Wireless and Mobile Network Architectures, John Wiley
6. P. Nicopolitidis ,Wireless Networks, John Wiley
7. Satellite communications-Timothy Pratt, Charles Bostian and Jeremy Allnutt,
WSE, Wiley Publications, 2nd Edition,2003.