🛰️ Advanced Diploma
Satellite Communication

📚 Modules

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Student: Advanced SatCom Student

ID: ADS20269389

Points: 0

Level: 1

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8) Earth Stations & Ground Segment

🛰️ Satellite Subsystems — Bus and Payload
SATELLITE ARCHITECTURE BUS (spacecraft platform) • Structure — chassis, panels, thermal • Power — solar arrays, batteries, PCU • Attitude Control (AOCS) reaction wheels, star trackers, gyros • Propulsion — chemical, electric • Thermal Control — radiators, heaters • Telemetry, Tracking & Command (TT&C) • Data Handling — on-board computer Typical bus lifetime 10–15 years for GEO LEO mega-constellation: 5–7 years per satellite Mass budget: 500 kg (small GEO) to 7 000 kg (large HTS) Power budget: 5 kW – 25 kW at EOL PAYLOAD (mission-specific) • Antennas — parabolic, phased arrays • Transponders — receive, shift, amplify • LNAs, HPAs, TWTAs, SSPAs • Filters, multiplexers, switches • Digital processors — channelisation • Beam-forming networks for HTS • Inter-satellite links (ISL) • Optical terminals for crosslinks Bent-pipe: transparent — no demodulation Regenerative: on-board demod + remod + FEC HTS: 20–100+ spot beams, Ka/Ku bands Throughput: hundreds of Gbps per HTS satellite
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📖 Theory – 8) Earth Stations & Ground Segment

I. Earth Station Architecture
• Antenna — reflector or array.
• RF front-end — LNB / LNA, upconverter, HPA.
• Modem — modulation, coding, baseband.
• Tracking, control and management.

II. Antenna Types
• Parabolic reflector — classic, high gain.
• Cassegrain — compact, dual-reflector.
• Phased array — electronic steering.

III. Tracking
• Step-track — small dish.
• Monopulse — high accuracy.
• Program-track — uses ephemeris for LEO.
• Auto-track — closed-loop with modem.

IV. Ground Segment Types
• Gateway — connects satnet to core.
• Teleport — large shared facility.
• VSAT hub — star or mesh.
• TT&C station — commands the satellite.

V. Networking
• IP over satellite — routing, QoS.
• PEP for TCP acceleration.
• Encryption and security layers.
• NMS/OSS for monitoring.

VI. Typical Parameters
• Antenna diameter 0.5–30 m.
• EIRP up to 80+ dBW.
• G/T up to 40 dB/K.
• Pointing accuracy down to milli-degrees.

🏆 Level 1

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🛰️ 0 MCQs
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📝 Advanced Essay (AI-Marked)

Question:
Critically analyse the earth station and ground segment in satellite communication. Discuss antenna types, tracking methods, gateway architecture and networking considerations, and evaluate the design drivers for enterprise, broadcast and mobile satellite services.
📋 Rubric: Knowledge (30%) · Analysis (30%) · Literature (20%) · Structure (10%) · Originality (10%). 1500–2500 words.

📝 Practice MCQs (15)

Q1: How does Parabolic reflector differ from alternatives?

Q2: What is Monopulse?

Q3: Why is Auto-track important?

Q4: Explain OSS in satellite communication.

Q5: Explain LNB in satellite communication.

Q6: What are the limitations of Phased array?

Q7: Explain Cassegrain in satellite communication.

Q8: Why is PEP important?

Q9: Explain Phased array in satellite communication.

Q10: Why is NMS important?

Q11: How does Program-track differ from alternatives?

Q12: What is NMS?

Q13: Why is OSS important?

Q14: Explain Parabolic reflector in satellite communication.

Q15: What are the limitations of LNB?

Module score: 0/0