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Using LEO-GEO Cross Link To Enhance LEO Satellite Communication Coverage Area
by
Karim A. Fouad
School of Astronautics, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, BUAA
Coauthors: Dr. Xu Xiaojian
This paper presents a proposal for a data relay technique, which utilizes an existing Geo-stationary Orbit (GEO) communication satellite as a data relay satellite, in cooperation with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite. The proposed scheme can increase the communication availability with the remote sensing LEO satellite. A remote sensing satellite possesses a payload as a multi-spectral imager. The extracted images are scanned; processed and stored on a mass storage media. The processed data and its related information are transmitted to the ground station through downlink, when the LEO satellite ground track lies inside the ground station coverage area. The communication period constitutes a critical design parameter for the choice of communication architecture, mission analysis and design of remote sensing satellites. American and European trends for using Tracking and Data Relay Satellite Systems (TDRSS) are very expensive to be accessed by other countries like Egypt. It may not be released to share these systems with other parties. The availability of GEO communication satellite as the Egyptian satellite [NILESAT] grows up the idea of utilizing its capability as a relay communication satellite, so instead of down linking the data to the ground station during the short period of communication availability between the LEO satellite and the ground station, the LEO remote sensing satellite will uplink this data to the GEO satellite for a longer period of communication between GEO and LEO satellites. The ratio between the communication periods in both cases is equal to the ratio between the coverage areas of the ground station to that of the GEO satellite.
Date received: April 28, 2008
Copyright © 2008 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # caxc-97.