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One of the significant challenges for satellite communications is to serve the ever-increasing demand for the use of finite resources. One option is to increase channel utilization, i.e., to transmit as much data as possible in a given frequency range. Since the channel is highly variable, primarily due to the ionosphere and troposphere, this goal can only be achieved by adaptively varying modulation and coding schemes. Most procedures and algorithms estimate the channel characteristics and descriptive quantities (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio). Ultimately, these procedures solve a regression problem. The resulting quantity is used as the basis for a decision process. Since valuation can also be subject to error, the decision mechanisms based on it must compensate and mitigate this error. The main element of the current research is to combine these two steps and solve them together using deep neural networks. The theoretical advantages of the method include that a better result can be achieved by having a joint estimation and decision process with a standard algorithm and cost function. The theoretical approach was tested with an actual protocol -- Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation -- where we observed a significant improvement in channel utilization on previously recorded Alphasat satellite data.

One of the significant challenges for satellite communications is to serve the ever-increasing demand for the use of finite resources. One option is to increase channel utilization, i.e., to transmit as much data as possible in a given frequency range. Since the channel is highly variable, primarily due to the ionosphere and troposphere, this goal can only be achieved by adaptively varying modulation and coding schemes. Most procedures and algorithms estimate the channel characteristics and descriptive quantities (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio). Ultimately, these procedures solve a regression problem. The resulting quantity is used as the basis for a decision process. Since valuation can also be subject to error, the decision mechanisms based on it must compensate and mitigate this error. The main element of the current research is to combine these two steps and solve them together using deep neural networks. The theoretical advantages of the method include that a better result can be achieved by having a joint estimation and decision process with a standard algorithm and cost function. The theoretical approach was tested with an actual protocol – Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation – where we observed a significant improvement in channel utilization on previously recorded Alphasat satellite data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a joint route selection and time‐slot allocation problem is formulated in a satellite‐terrestrial communication system. An optimization problem that minimizes the total system energy consumption is proposed to solve the formulated problem. Two algorithms, including a multi‐time‐expanding graph‐based maximum transmission rate route (MTEG‐R) selection algorithm and a minimum system energy consumption ‐ Dijkstra (MSEC‐D) algorithm, are proposed to find the optimal route and time‐slot for data transmission, and simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) can provide ranging and communication services for user spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) through the inter‐satellite link (ISL). The time delay of TDRS ISL transponder in orbit differs from its pre‐launch state and changes due to the complex space environment, adding significant errors to the user spacecraft's orbit determination based on four‐way ranging data. The authors have developed a calibration system and proposed an efficient on‐orbit calibration method for the ISL transponder's time delay in TDRS. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the authors’ method, and the RMS of calibration residuals is less than 0.5 m.

Abstract In this letter, a novel digital pre‐distortion (DPD) scheme for an end‐to‐end forward link (FL) channel in a satellite internet network (SIN) is first proposed. It aims at the unprecedented challenge of the model of non‐stationary (NS) cascade response consisting of channel fading and non‐linear behaviour of onboard payload. Unlike most existing schemes, the proposed DPD scheme explores a new model to describe the distortion with improved band‐limited memory polynomial (BLMP) by the equivalent response. To decrease the complexity of utilization, the authors design a new strategy to divide the unified non‐stationary situation into several different stationary situations. Meanwhile, a space‐time‐frequency stationary window function (STF‐WF) is proposed to compensate for the signal distortion. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed schemes realize maximum total degradation (TD) gain by 15%.

The tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) can provide ranging and communication services for user spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) through the inter‐satellite link (ISL). The time delay of TDRS ISL transponder in orbit differs from its pre‐launch state and changes due to the complex space environment, adding significant errors to the user spacecraft's orbit determination based on four‐way ranging data. The authors have developed a calibration system and proposed an efficient on‐orbit calibration method for the ISL transponder's time delay in TDRS. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the authors' method, and the RMS of calibration residuals is less than 0.5 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a novel digital pre‐distortion (DPD) scheme for an end‐to‐end forward link (FL) channel in a satellite internet network (SIN) is first proposed. It aims at the unprecedented challenge of the model of non‐stationary (NS) cascade response consisting of channel fading and non‐linear behaviour of onboard payload. Unlike most existing schemes, the proposed DPD scheme explores a new model to describe the distortion with improved band‐limited memory polynomial (BLMP) by the equivalent response. To decrease the complexity of utilization, the authors design a new strategy to divide the unified non‐stationary situation into several different stationary situations. Meanwhile, a space‐time‐frequency stationary window function (STF‐WF) is proposed to compensate for the signal distortion. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed schemes realize maximum total degradation (TD) gain by 15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting precipitation rate and rainfall attenuation are key aspects in planning and dimensioning of wireless communications systems operating at frequencies above 10 GHz, such as satellite communication systems at Ku and Ka bands. In this paper, contour maps of rainfall rate and rain attenuation are developed for the first time in Venezuela, based on 1-min rain rate statistics obtained from measurements carried out in Venezuela over at least 30 years period with a higher integration time and using Rice-Holmberg model, refined Moupfouma-Martin model and Recommendation ITU-R P.837-7, for rain rate estimation and Recommendation ITU-R P.618-13, Ramachandran-Kumar model, Yeo-Lee-Ong model and Rakshit-Adhikari-Maitra model, for rain attenuation prediction in “Simon Bolivar” satellite links in Venezuela. The overall results of both types of maps represent a useful tool for preliminary planning of those links in the country, specifically, in Ku and Ka bands

First built models of Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) communication channels based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) 3GPP Standard were designed. Base Station (BS) transmission within the Radio Line of Sight (RLoS) and through the satellite using Beyond Radio Line of Sight (BRLoS) was considered. The dependencies of the Bit Error Rate (BER) on the signal-noise ratio for different RPAS velocities and WCDMA сhannel models were obtained. The dependences of the BER on the signal-noise ratio for different levels of satellite transponder nonlinearity were studied. The dependence of the BER on the BS antenna diameter in case of the transponder nonlinearity was analysed. The dependencies for satellite channel characteristics, first obtained taking into account the motion of the RPAS, make it possible to predict the behavior of the communication system in critical conditions.

Shipboard platforms have numerous antennas crowding topside space. Consolidating these antennas would require having antennas with multi-frequency capabilities. A Gregorian parabolic stacked antenna provides multi-frequency capabilities on a single pedestal which reduces the number of antennas required on a US Navy shipboard platforms. This Letter depicts the simulated design and radiation pattern results of a 1.9 m Gregorian parabolic stacked antenna that is capable of operating at the X-, K-, Ka- and Q-band frequencies at VSWR values <2:1. These frequency band capabilities allow for satellite communication links where two antennas that are currently fielded are operating within. The dual Gregorian parabolic stacked antenna presented is capable of operating at the same frequencies on a single antenna pedestal which would reduce the number of antennas required on shipboard platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing high‐precision inter‐satellite radio frequency (RF) measurement systems were mostly based on two‐satellite formations, and there lacks further research on measurement schemes for multi‐satellite formations. The frequency division multiple access (FDMA) and the code division multiple access based schemes are widely used, but not applicable for distributed applications due to their poor scalability. The time division multiple access (TDMA) based scheme can overcome this weakness, and has been applied in the global positioning system (GPS) IIR/IIF inter‐satellite link. However, the atomic clock used in GPS is not suitable for microsatellites. If a miniaturised frequency source instead of the atomic clock is utilised, the two way ranging (TWR) method adopted in this system would encounter a sharp decrease of measurement accuracy. To this end, this Letter aims to propose a novel TDMA based distributed RF measurement scheme for multi‐microsatellite formations. A TDMA based distributed broadcast protocol is employed in the media access control layer, closely integrated with the asymmetric double‐sided two‐way ranging method adopted in the physical layer. Numerical and simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed scheme over the conventional TDMA scheme. The proposed scheme can be recommended for future multi‐microsatellite formation missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First built models of Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) communication channels based on Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) 3GPP Standard were designed. Base Station (BS) transmission within the Radio Line of Sight (RLoS) and through the satellite using Beyond Radio Line of Sight (BRLoS) was considered. The dependencies of the Bit Error Rate (BER) on the signal-noise ratio for different RPAS velocities and WCDMA hannel models were obtained. The dependences of the BER on the signal-noise ratio for different levels of satellite transponder nonlinearity were studied. The dependence of the BER on the BS antenna diameter in case of the transponder nonlinearity was analysed. The dependencies for satellite channel characteristics, first obtained taking into account the motion of the RPAS, make it possible to predict the behavior of the communication system in critical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Long-distance entanglement is a very precious resource, but its distribution is very difficult due to the exponential losses of light in optical fibres. A possible solution consists in the use of quantum repeaters, based on entanglement swapping (ES) or quantum error correction. Alternatively, satellite-based free-space optical links can be exploited, achieving better loss-distance scaling. We propose to combine these two ingredients, quantum repeaters and satellite-based links, into a scheme that allows to achieve entanglement distribution over global distances with a small number of intermediate untrusted nodes. The entanglement sources, placed on satellites, send quantum states encoded in photons towards orbiting quantum repeater stations, where ES is performed. The performance of this repeater chain is assessed in terms of the secret key rate achievable by the BBM92 cryptographic protocol. We perform a comparison with other repeater chain architectures and show that our scheme, even though more technically demanding, is superior in many situations of interest. Finally, we analyse strengths and weaknesses of the proposed scheme and discuss exemplary orbital configurations. The integration of satellite-based links with ground repeater networks can be envisaged to represent the backbone of the future quantum internet.

A phenomenon that also causes impairment in the received signal strength of the RF signal in satellite links operating at frequencies above 10 GHz, especially in those systems that operate at higher frequencies with small fade margins, is the tropospheric scintillation that occurs in the lower layer of the troposphere. In order to estimate the intensity, i.e. the variance between the scintillation amplitude fluctuations, there are several models in the literature, whose accuracy depends on the locality in which the models are implemented. In this Letter, new models are developed for the prediction of tropospheric scintillation that adjusts to localities in Spain, specifically Madrid city, based on measurements of the aforementioned phenomenon reported from Spain and the bios‐inspired technique Cuckoo Search (CS). The results obtained, evaluated in terms of the root mean square error, were totally satisfactory, being the most outstanding cases the improved versions of the Ortgies‐T, Statistical Temperature and Humidity 2 and Statistical Temperature and Refractivity 2 models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A satellite-based measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution model is proposed and its performance is analyzed through numerical simulations. The simulation result shows that the key rate increases almost linearly as transmittance increases and the higher the key rate is, the lower its probability may be. More significantly, as the transmission distance increases, the optimal intensities of the signal states decrease while those of the decoy states increase. The optimal values in the daytime are slightly larger than those at night. This work may provide some important parameters for the relevant experiment on satellite-based quantum communication network.

The design of spectrally-efficient, high-throughput satellite (HTS) systems with capacity approaching one terabit per second requires operating at Ka-band frequencies and above, where there are several gigahertz of allocated radio spectrum, using multiple spot beams with dual orthogonal polarisation mode. At these high frequencies, rain attenuation poses a major obstacle to the design of high-availability satellite links which are needed for the realisation of ubiquitous broadband multimedia communication services including high-speed Internet access at rural and remote locations. Furthermore, depolarisation-induced interference in such systems could have a performance-limiting impact if a co-channel cross-polar signal combines with system noise to drive the carrier-to-noise-plus-interference ratio (CNIR) below an acceptable threshold. This paper employs real measurement data to investigate the impact of depolarisation-induced interference on dual-polarised HTS systems for temperate and tropical climatic regions. Scenarios that cause significant system performance degradation are analysed, including the effects of signal frequency, antenna size, and regional rainfall rate. The impact of depolarisation on system performance is quantified by the reductions in the CNIR and link availability of a dual-polarised system when compared with those of a similarly-dimensioned single-polarised system.

The establishment of a world-wide quantum communication network relies on the synergistic integration of satellite-based links and fiber-based networks. The first are helpful for long-distance communication, as the photon losses introduced by the optical fibers are too detrimental for lengths greater than about 200 km. This work aims at giving, on the one hand, a comprehensive and fundamental model for the losses suffered by the quantum signals during the propagation along an atmospheric free-space link. On the other hand, a performance analysis of different quantum key distribution (QKD) implementations is performed, including finite-key effects, focusing on different interesting practical scenarios. The specific approach that we chose allows to precisely model the contribution due to different weather conditions, paving the way towards more accurate feasibility studies of satellite-based QKD missions.

The performance of optical inter‐satellite communications using microwave photonics technologies employing intensity modulation with direct detection (IMDD) and phase modulation (PM) with interferometric detection are investigated and demonstrated with a numerical example. The theoretical model considering the saturated gain and amplifier spontaneous emission noise of optical booster amplifier and optical preamplifier is constructed for both architectures. Furthermore, the authors compare the performance of PM with interferometric detection to optimum biased IMDD in terms of radio frequency (RF) gain, RF noise figure and compression dynamic range (CDR). The numerical results show that the PM with interferometric detection can achieve better RF gain, RF noise figure and CDR than the optimum biased IMDD link as the laser output power is lower than 14.34, 12.45 and 4.2 dBm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavior of the fiber coupling efficiency in non-Kolmogorov satellite links is investigated. Examining the fiber coupling efficiency of downlink versus the non-Kolmogorov power law exponent for different rms wind speeds, zenith angles, receiver lens diameters, structure constants and the wavelengths, the fiber coupling efficiency is found to decrease when the non-Kolmogorov power law exponent increases. At a fixed non-Kolmogorov power law exponent, the fiber coupling efficiency of downlink is found to decrease as the rms wind speed, the zenith angle, the receiver lens diameter or the structure constant increases and the wavelength decreases. For any non-Kolmogorov satellite downlink, the reduction of coherence length will make the optimum design parameter larger. And when the fiber coupling efficiency is considered in the satellite uplinks, the effect of non-Kolmogorov turbulence can be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the Smart Gateway diversity scheme to be employed in future High Throughput Satellite Systems (HTS) at Ka, Q/V bands or above. The availability of a network of N gateways is presented with P redundant and with N active multiplexed gateways. A new time switched architecture is compared with the more conventional frequency division system for the N-active scheme but retaining transparent satellite transponders. In addition, resource allocation algorithms are compared, end to end, which maximize the throughput and balance the traffic amongst the user beams for gateways links degraded by rain. The time switched gateway approach allows simplifies satellite payloads and reduced ground segment size and hence cost. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Accurate knowledge of information data capacity between a spacecraft and optical ground stations is of utmost importance for assessing the feasibility of laser downlinks in future high bandwidth communication systems from space. For the additional cost and complexity of the downlink systems, there is a growing interest for the sensitivity and spectral efficiency potential of coherent optical receivers. But in practice, as the link includes part of the atmosphere, the potential of coherent receivers is seriously affected by phase distortions and fading to the link induced by clear-air turbulence. Conveniently, coherent channel-matched array receivers consisting of multiple subapertures can reduce signal fading. Also, wavefront distortions can be mitigated in principle with adaptive optics. Here we provide a comprehensive, unified analysis of these two fundamental techniques used in atmospheric downlink coherent system. Our results demonstrate how array technologies, as an alternative to adaptive optics, are expected to expand capacity of laser downlinks by tracking and correcting atmospherically distorted signals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Behavior of the coherence length in non-Kolmogorov satellite links is investigated. Equivalent structure constants for non-Kolmogorov spectra are employed in order to make relevant comparisons for different non-Kolmogorov power law exponents. Examining the coherence length versus the non-Kolmogorov power law exponent for different rms wind speeds, zenith angles, link lengths, structure constants and the wavelengths, the coherence length is found to decrease when the non-Kolmogorov power law exponent increases. At a fixed non-Kolmogorov power law exponent, the coherence length is found to decrease as the rms wind speed, the zenith angle or the structure constant increases and the wavelength decreases. As the link length increases, the coherence length decreases for power law exponent values smaller than that for the Kolmogorov case. However, an increase in the link length seems not to cause the coherence length to vary appreciably at power law exponent values larger than the Kolmogorov case power law exponent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fade duration database was built to enhance the study of propagation characterises in the Equatorial region. The data was measured via a beacon receiver Ku-band whereby the antenna was directed to a SUPERBIRD-C2 satellite at 12.255GHz. The performance of the measured data has been compared with ITU-R model, Kormanyos et al. and Paulson–Gibbins. The results show that the Paulson–Gibbins fits well with measured data with a low RMS error of 0.2dB. The number of statistics available for the equatorial is small and the periods of measurement are short compared to those for temperate regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An exact analytical expression of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) for inter‐satellite microwave photonics links using a low‐biased Mach‐Zehnder modulator, and with both an optical booster amplifier and a preamplifier, is derived with the method of Bessel expansion and Graf's addition theorem. It is observed that the most limitative noise is changed from the thermal noise to the signal‐amplifier spontaneous emission beating noise that arises from the optical preamplifier, and the signal power is seen to increase more compared with the power of noise because of optical preamplifier. Thus, the SNR of system configurations with both an optical booster amplifier and an optical preamplifier can be improved compared with the SNR of system configurations with only an optical booster amplifier. For the preamplifier gain of 20 dB and noise figure of 3 dB, an increase of about 19.7 dB in optimum SNR is accessible. In addition, the effect of optical booster amplifier and preamplifier parameters on the optimum DC bias phase shift and SNR is also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a semi-empirical method for the prediction of rain attenuation in slant paths and terrestrial links is proposed. The method uses the same simplified model of equivalent rain cell that is the basis for the ITU-R rain attenuation prediction methods but, additionally, the concept of an effective rain rate is introduced. This allows the use of the full rainfall rate distribution for the prediction of the rain attenuation distribution and the unification of the slant path and terrestrial links prediction algorithms. The numerical coefficients in the method's expressions were derived by multiple non-linear regressions using the experimental data currently available in the ITU-R data banks. Test results indicate that the proposed method provides significant improvement over the current ITU-R methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-to-satellite laser communication experiments between the optical ground station located in Koganei, central Tokyo, and a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite were jointly performed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology. In 18 trials during three non-consecutive months, the satellite was acquired and tracked 61 % of the time, when clear or partly-clear conditions were predominant. The optical link was maintained for about 6 minutes when the satellite was visible in spite of the high angular velocity of the satellite. In 3 of the 18 trials, the link was not interrupted due to clouds during the six-minute transit. The failures (39% of the time) occurred when cloudy or rainy conditions were predominant. Fluctuation in the uplink received signal power was minimized by using multiple laser beam transmissions. The measured uplink and downlink bit error ratios were 10-7-10-4. These results demonstrate the applicability of free-space laser communication for not only geostationary earth orbit-LEO optical links but also ground-to-LEO optical links. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper a new multiple access scheme dubbed contention resolution diversity slotted ALOHA (CRDSA) is introduced and its performance and implementation are thoroughly analyzed. The scheme combines diversity transmission of data bursts with efficient interference cancellation techniques. It is shown that CRDSA largely outperforms the classical lotted ALOHA (SA) technique in terms of throughput under equal packet loss ratio conditions (e.g. 17-fold improvement at packet loss ratio = 2 middot 10-2). CRDSA allows to boost the performance of random access (RA) channels in the return link of interactive satellite networks, making RA very efficient and providing low latency for the transmission of small size sparse packets. Implementation-wise it is shown that the CRDSA technique can be easily integrated in systems equipped with digital burst demodulators [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Optimizing the end-to-end throughput of a TCP connection (goodput) over geostationary satellite links is a challenging research topic. This is because the high delay-bandwidth product, together with a non-negligible random loss of packets, is a condition that considerably differs from the environments TCP was originally designed for. As a result, TCP performance is significantly impaired by the channel bit error rate. The literature is full of suggestions for improving TCP goodput, most based on modifications of the protocol itself. We only investigated the application of different FEC (forward error correction) types for TCP goodput optimization, leaving the end-to-end protocol unaltered. Using a method midway between analysis and simulation to evaluate the goodput of TCP long-lived connections, we first studied the influence of packet loss rate, introduced by errors on the channel, on the TCP goodput. We showed that, in some cases, the packet loss rate does not need to be negligible with respect to that caused by congestion, as it is widely-held opinion. We then applied physical-level FEC techniques, such as convolutional encoding/Viterbi decoding, Reed Solomon, link-level erasure codes and their combinations, over a wide field of signal to noise conditions of the satellite channel. For each FEC type, we found the FEC rate that maximizes the TCP goodput, in each channel condition. We finally compared the results of all FECs used between them, and presented the case of multiple TCP connections sharing the same link as well [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is an urgent need to find the best congestion-control mechanism for space Internet. This article presents an experimental study of rate-based congestion control, window-based congestion control, and a hybrid of the two in a simulated small-satellite environment using the space-to-ground link simulation (SGLS) testbed. The study is done by examining the throughput performance and transmission behavior of pure rate-control and a variant of each of the window-based transmission control protocol (TCP) selective acknowledgment (TCP-SACK) and TCP-Vegas congestion-control mechanisms, with and without the channel-rate control being hybridized. The study reveals that the traffic-shaping mechanism of a rate-based transmission mechanism is more effective than the bursty flow of window-based mechanisms in error-prone space environments with a long link delay. Pure rate-control is preferable to other mechanisms in space in which channel resource reservation is available. The performance differences arise from their different behaviors in controlling data transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A report published by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center titled "Vulnerability Assessment of the Transportation Infrastructure Relying on the Global Positioning System" (29 August 2001) states that the civil transportation infrastructure, seeking the increased efficiency made possible by GPS, is developing a reliance on GPS that could lead to serious consequences if the service is disrupted, and the applications are not prepared with mitigating equipment and operational procedures. The findings of the Volpe report suggest, among other things, that systems and procedures to monitor, report, and locate unintentional interference should be implemented or utilized in any application for which loss of GPS is not tolerable. This paper discussed the use of the GPS anomaly monitoring equipment suite (GAMES) to detect and report anomalies in GPS. The paper also discussed systems performance via test results and demonstrated how GAMES could be used for critical infrastructure protection. Data is presented to show the different anomalies that could occur as well as demonstrating how GAMES would handle such anomalies. GAMES give the user a real-time report on how accurate GPS is, and by using the GPS interference and navigation tool (GIANT) the user can predict the accuracy and effectiveness of GPS in the near future. The combination of these tools creates a "system" that can be used to monitor and evaluate the GPS environment and determine impacts on GPS-aided applications. Taking the application one step further, General Dynamics has developed the GPS interference location system (GELS) that ties directly to GAMES. When GAMES detects an anomaly, GILS begins to search for the interference(s) source and passes the collected data to the Web server where the location is computed and reported. This sensor will be described and test results will be presented to demonstrate the applicability and use for commercial as well as military use. By implementing GAMES, GILS, and GIANT, the question behind GPS reliability is a thing of the past, which will allow for increased use and reliance upon GPS. The knowledge gained from the development and application of these tools is one of the fundamental building blocks for this effort. This project developed a proof-of-conce- pt that quantified the capability realized from being able to both detect and locate sources of interference during a GPS anomaly or interference event. This includes determining the benefits of interference identification for a variety of critical civil applications, and providing insights to help mitigate potential adverse impacts. The technical approaches undertaken are outlined, results-to-date presented, and recommendations discussed on how to take this project from proof-of-concept to fielded system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For data services over satellite networks, the efficient management of satellite downlink communication resources is crucial for economic competitiveness of the medium. To support a broad spectrum of users with small terminals at high rates, narrow transmit spotbeams on the satellite will be used. Since satellite transmitter resources are expensive and there can be many spotbeam-coverage cells within the satellite service area, it is attractive to use some form of agile scanning beam system and to time-share these precious resources. An optimized design of the multibeam antenna pattern and scheduling can further improve the efficiency of transmission and power management. In this paper, the advantage of parallel multibeams in terms of spectral efficiency and power gain is shown, and the issue of multibeam power allocation based on traffic demands and channel conditions over satellite downlinks with power and delay constraints is addressed. The study indicates that the use of a parallel multibeam scheme with optimum power allocation can achieve a substantial power gain and reasonable proportional fairness. By coupling power allocation with multibeam scheduling when the number of active beams is smaller than the number of cells, the authors show that a modest number of active parallel beams are sufficient to cover many cells efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Non-geostationary (NGEO) satellite communication systems are seen as an attractive solution to realize the vision of anywhere, anytime pervasive access to the Internet. Their design and development have thus gained tremendous interest in the last few years. Commencing with a brief overview of general NGEO satellite configurations, this article next addresses the key technical difficulties in the development of NGEO IP-based satellite communications systems. The article discusses routing concerns, mobility management, and transport protocols with an emphasis on TCP performance in NGEO satellite networks. Some key innovations are presented. The recursive, explicit, and fair window adjustment (REFWA) scheme is presented as a solution to improve the efficiency and fairness of TCP in NGEO systems. An improvement to the REFWA scheme, REFWA plus, is also described to combat link errors in satellite environments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes systematic approaches to minimize severe channel degradation. Detection of channel condition is performed by means of two continuous ARQ NAK counting schemes. Stop-and-wait ARQ non-NAK counting is used for timed complete blockage. A single (31,21,5) code is designed for all the ARQ systems proposed. After the blockage state of a transmission channel is determined, satellite link parameter trade-offs and other specific remedy alternatives are recommended to enhance channel performance. System performance criteria are derived with different Earth station capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this letter, we show how different signal processing techniques can be combined to optimize the performance of a typical wideband nonlinear satellite link with spectrally efficient high-level modulation techniques. In particular, we follow two concurrent approaches: on one side, we pursue signal optimization in the form of special amplitude and phase shift keying (APSK) constellations to reduce the effect of nonlinear distortions, while on the other, we analyze the feasibility of adaptive data predistortion (DP) at the transmitter and adaptive nonlinear equalization (NLE) at the receiver. We demonstrate that the use of such optimized constellations relieves the complexity of the nonlinearity compensation techniques, and we also show that by clever adoption of these techniques the sensitivity to nonlinear distortion of both uncoded and turbo coded quadrature amplitude modulation and APSK constellations is greatly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Free-space optical communication between satellites networked together can enable a high data rate between the satellites. Coherence multiplexing (CM) is an attractive technique for satellite networking due to its ability to cope with the asynchronous nature of communication traffic and the dynamic changes taking place in the satellite constellation. The use of optical radiation for intersatellite links creates very narrow beam divergence angles. Due to the narrow beam divergence angle, the vibration of the pointing system, the movement of the satellite, and the large distance between them the pointing from one satellite to another is a complicated task. The vibration of the pointing system is caused by two stochastic fundamental mechanisms: 1) tracking noises created by the electrooptic tracker and 2) vibrations created by internal satellite mechanical mechanisms and external environments. We derive mathematical models of signal, noise, the approximate signal-to-noise ratio, and the approximate bit-error rates of optical communication satellite networks as functions of the system's parameters, the number of satellites, and the vibration amplitude for frequency-shift keying coherence multiplexing (FSK-CM). Based on these models, we can calculate the negative impact of both the number of satellites and the optical terminal vibration on the system's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The use of satellites to distribute entangled photon pairs (and single photons) provides a unique solution for long-distance quantum communication networks. This overcomes the principle limitations of Earth-bound technology, i.e., the range of the order of 100 km afforded by both optical fiber and by terrestrial free-space links. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With high-speed space optical crosslink being a reality, the construction of an optical satellite network as part of a larger integrated space-terrestrial network is now feasible. This paper explores the architecture implications of the invention of such a radical technology building block. Not only can the satellite network performance and cost undergo quantum-leap improvements but also such a network can have profound transforming effects on space system architectures and data network user applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We propose a new shadowed Rice (1948) model for land mobile satellite channels. In this model, the amplitude of the line-of-sight is characterized by the Nakagami distribution. The major advantage of the model is that it leads to closed-form and mathematically-tractable expressions for the fundamental channel statistics such as the envelope probability density function, moment generating function of the instantaneous power, and the level crossing rate. The model is very convenient for analytical and numerical performance prediction of complicated narrowband and wideband land mobile satellite systems, with different types of uncoded/coded modulations, with or without diversity. Comparison of the first- and the second-order statistics of the proposed model with different sets of published channel data demonstrates the flexibility of the new model in characterizing a variety of channel conditions and propagation mechanisms over satellite links. Interestingly, the proposed model provides a similar fit to the experimental data as the well-accepted Loo's (1985) model but with significantly less computational burden. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This work analyzes laser communication between a cluster of nanosatellites, which is a concentrated formation of small lightweight satellites and a ground station. The scenario under consideration is a cluster of nanosatellites communicating by means of a laser beam with a detector array receiver that is located on the earth's surface and equipped with a common optical system for all incoming beams. The beams are concentrated to spots over the detector plane by the receiver's optics. The detector array enables the ground station to communicate with a tight concentration of the nanosatellites, which reduces system complexity and cost. A critical parameter that determines the successful receipt and subsequent decoding of a transmitted signal for a given configuration is the angular separation between the satellites within the cluster. This separation must be retained to prevent critical overlapping of the spots on the detector's surface. The maximum allowable overlapping is calculated in terms of given bit-error rate. The spatial spreading of the beams, caused by scattering from aerosols in different layers of the atmosphere, is calculated for the case of single scattering. A stratified model of the atmosphere is used. Turbulence influences the beam width, especially for the case of short exposure, and is primarily caused by temperature changes, which result in fluctuations in the refractive index. In this research, a new approach is adopted for analyzing communication network performance through the atmosphere by applying optical-transfer function (OTF) concepts used in imaging and remote sensing. We evaluate the effectiveness of this new approach in applications where spatial spread between the users is very important. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Regular mesh topologies typical for satellite communication networks comprised of intersatellite links provide high network flexibility and reliability, but due to dynamic changing of traffic load and interorbit link distance variation, adaptive routing is an absolute requirement for optimizing the network utilization. In this article, we address adaptive routing in the intersatellite link (ISL) segment of nongeostationary packet-switched satellite communication systems, focusing on the relative impacts of traffic load and propagation delay on the link cost. We consider four reference traffic flow scenarios with different levels of traffic concentration. he network performance is evaluated in terms of routing performance measures important from both the end user and the network operator perspectives. Using an ISL network simulator, we reveal some intrinsic effects of the selected constellation and effects introduced with different assumptions regarding the traffic model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new scheme for the management of real-time traffic over high-latency broadband satellite networks is described. Early studies on this topic have been reported by Iera, Molinaro and Marano (see IEEE J. Select Areas Commun.,, vol.18, p.2393-2403, 2000), with reference to an integrated terrestrial-satellite platform. In this paper, further enhancement is introduced into the traffic management scheme with a view to both the reduction of intrinsic impairments caused by the adverse operational environment and the achievement of better performance levels and QoS guarantees. A real-time traffic handling strategy, including distributed connection admission control (CAC) and traffic resource management (TRM) schemes, is harmonized with an in-band signaling technique for burst-based bandwidth request and with an effective policy for the allocation of radio resources. Furthermore, the impact of traffic reshaping at the satellite terminal on the CAC-TRM technique is tested. Added features reduce the adverse effects of the long propagation delay across the satellite link and show outstanding effectiveness in improving CAC-TRM performance and network resource efficiency, while matching service quality requirements. The main reason for the improved performance of the overall management scheme is the adaptability to different traffic profiles conveyed over satellite links [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Traditional transport layer flow control schemes proposed for IP networks have low performance when satellite links are involved in the communication. These problems are described along with the solutions previously proposed in the literature. For each solution the advantages and drawbacks of the existing solutions are pointed out. Both real-time and non-real-time applications are considered [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article presents a comparison study of the uplink performance of two well-known transmission schemes, W-CDMA and OFDM, for mobile multimedia communications via LEO satellite. In order to provide a framework for a fair comparison we have considered for both schemes common parameters, including identical channel bandwidth, coding/decoding algorithms and similar net data rate. The values of these parameters have been appropriately selected in accordance with the corresponding UMTS system specifications. For W-CDMA, we propose a receiver structure that eliminates ISI for both channel estimation and equalization at the LEO satellite. For OFDM, we propose a system the design of of which is based upon the parameters of W-CDMA for UMTS. For both schemes appropriate transceiver structures are proposed and analyzed and their performance is evaluated in terms of computer simulation. The design of these transceiver structures effectively takes into account the statistical characteristics of the LEO satellite channel, so that the overall system performance is improved. The simulation results evaluating the uplink BER performance for a single user indicate that, although the BER performance of W-CDMA is slightly better than that of OFDM, the performance differences are rather small. Furthermore, these differences in performance become even smaller when channel coding is applied and when LOS conditions between the mobile terminal and the LEO satellite exist. Since these results have not shown a clear-cut winner, further comparative studies are required in order to identify the most appropriate transmission scheme for applications supporting global mobile multimedia communication via LEO satellite networks. Such studies should include determination of the downlink BER performance as well as spectrum efficiency and capacity performance equations for both up and down satellite communication links [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The prospect of the Internet as the fastest growing satellite communication application coupled with satellite-based multimedia networks has generated a high level of interest in the performance of TCP over satellite systems. This article presents the network architecture for supporting services based on TCP/IP over satellite. It discusses the key factors that influence TCP performance over satellite links, and compares the benefits and disadvantages of low Earth orbit and geostationary Earth orbit satellite. The article also discusses the feasibility of using LEO satellites to support and expand the Internet. It presents studies of the TCP behavior over a GEO satellite system and LEO satellite constellation based on computer simulations, where two typical Internet applications are taken into consideration: FTP file transfer and Web browsing. The results show that TCP performs much better over the LEO satellite constellation than over the GEO system; even the standard TCP over LEO is better than enhanced TCP over GEO [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes the activity performed in the three-year project “Integration of Multimedia Services on Heterogeneous Satellite Networks,” funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and carried out by the Italian National Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT). The description of the activity allows highlighting the problems, findings, and solutions in utilizing TCP/IP-based services and applications, such as audio-video transmission and Web browsing, via satellite channels. The article presents an experimental approach to provide QoS guarantees and to improve the performance of TCP over a satellite network based on the TCP/IP suite. The aim is to obtain a proper environment for data, voice, and video transmission oriented to a distance learning service that uses both audio-video applications and Web-based tools. The experimental scenario is made up of three remote LANs. Two of them are connected through a geostationary orbit satellite link in the Ka-band (20-30 GHz). The other LAN, located in a site where no satellite station is available, is connected through an ISDN link at 512 kb/s. Both subjective metrics such as mean opinion score and objective metrics such as throughput and overall transmission time have been used to evaluate the performance of the system and to get proper configurations able to guarantee a high QoS perceived by the users. The integrated services approach along with the resource reservation protocol were chosen to reserve the network resources at the IP level. A modified version of TCP has been proposed and utilized to reduce the download time during Web browsing and f.t.p. sessions. The measures reported have been obtained by real operative sessions [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The rapid proliferation of the Internet over recent years has roused the research community's interest id QoS guarantees to IP traffic. The integration of new satellite technologies with terrestrial broadband networks can provide worldwide reachability to a wide range of IP-based multimedia applications and services. Thus, a great deal of research is being conducted to extend IP technology with QoS guarantees to satellite links. The purpose of this article is to contribute to this issue. In fact, the main focus is on the satellite access network of an integrated terrestrial-satellite multimedia platform. In this scenario, effective solutions to transport real-time IP traffic with quality of service (QoS) guarantees are proposed, and their effectiveness is assessed. Real-time IP services with different traffic descriptors and delay requirements are considered, and therefore the best transport solution (in terms of guaranteed quality and efficiency in satellite resource utilization) over permanent or semi-permanent satellite connections is identified [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]