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Technology for Small Spacecraft (1994) / Chapter Skim
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6 Small Spacecraft Communications Technology
Pages 50-56

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From page 50...
... With the rapid expansion of the wireless communications networks and cellular systems, and the initiation of worldwide personal communications networks, a number of innovative approaches recently have been proposed utilizing constellations of lightweight spacecraft. These proposed new systems utilize both low Earth orbit and higher-altitude orbits.
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From page 51...
... on quality of transmission; effects on communications and data transmission due to nonstationary spacecraft (handover from one Earth station to the next Earth station, Doppler frequency shift, etc.~; efficient utilization of the radio spectrum for mobile low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations; spacecraft antennas; and optical communications.
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From page 52...
... JPL, in addition to identifying needs for future NASA missions, is envisioning the use of industry partnerships for identifying future commercial applications and for technology development and demonstration, including ground test programs for technology venf~cation. The LeRC program, besides the ACTS involvement, addresses space communications technologies.
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From page 53...
... The team prepared a communications technology summary indicating that: electronically steered, (phased array) Ka-band antennas; Ka-band solid-state amplifiers; and Ka-band power modules were the highest priority, followed by source/channel coding, optical communications, and low-mass antennas.
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From page 54...
... For example, some of the proposed low-Earth-orbit wireless telephone systems plan to use Code Division Multiple Access techniques. With radio frequency bandwidths becoming scarce due to overcrowding, and with the need for low-power, lightweight, mobile receive/transmit hand sets, the need for proven, efficient, multiple access techniques becomes pressing.
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From page 55...
... Other less demanding opportunities exist in the commercial market, where lot sizes are many orders of magnitude larger. SPECTRUM UTILIZATION With the explosive growth of the communication needs, which demand more and more transmission bandwidth, the available radio spectrum has become overcrowded.
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From page 56...
... Except for the ACTS program, NASA has not significantly invested in communications technology or monitored industry developments. Small spacecraft technology could play a substantial role in the development of the global communications infrastructure as well as the economic development of many geographical areas.
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Key Terms

  • multiple access
  • optical communications
  • satellite communications
  • radio frequency
  • spacecraft communications

  • phased array
  • power amplifiers
  • division multiple
  • acts program
  • access techniques

  • mobile satellite
  • electronically steered
  • advanced communications
  • code division
  • doppler frequency

  • nasa missions
  • earth station
  • future nasa
  • force phillips
  • error correction

  • communications networks
  • spacecraft technology
  • data transmission
  • frequency shift
  • electronically controlled

  • array antennas
  • access schemes
  • traveling wave
  • frequency spectrum
  • phillips laboratory


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