Satellite Communications play a part in multiple industries: business continuity, emergency management, oil and gas, IoT, healthcare, government, maritime, mining, logging, outdoor recreation and more.
Essentially, a satellite is a radio located in space which has between 24 and 72 transponders, the signal path which data follows through the satellite. Each transponder has a capacity of 155 million bits per second.
Satellite communications consists of sending electromagnetic waves signals from earth stations to space stations (satellites) and vice versa. The transmission of information goes from a ground-based antenna to the satellite whose antennas capture the signals, changes the frequency and sends it to another ground-based antenna or broadcasts it to many earth stations.
It is called uplink when the transmission goes from an earth station to a space station and downlink when the signal goes from the satellite’s antenna to the ground’s one.
The U.S. continues to lead the industry in both satellite manufacturing and launch service revenues.
A record number of satellites were launched into space in 2020, driven by the deployments of LEO broadband constellations.
Global revenue of the satellite industry totaled $271 billion USD in 2020, which is 73% of the space economy.
Analysts predict the overall demand for satellite data will grow annually at 30% between now and 2025. The global market for new launch technology for small satellites will be worth nearly $30 billion over the next 20 years.
Satellite communications has become ubiquitous, and many new trends are expected such as the detailed monitory of the Earth’s oceans. Close to three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans. They feed us, regulate our climate and are a bridge that connects us all.
Satellite and airborne technology offer enhanced possibilities to monitor with detailed granularity their health. Future research where satellites are going to be a major driver includes – Plastic Trash Tracking, Shallow Waters – Remote sensing quantifying the coral reef crisis, Monitoring Ocean Health – Plankton and Acidification.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers Satellite Communications Training Bootcamp, a 4-day course that focuses on satellite communications payloads, systems engineering and architecture of satellite systems including application requirements such as digital video and broadband media, mobile services, IP networking and UDP/TCP/IP services, concept of operations, identifying end-to-end satellite payload requirements and constellation.
This popular and intensive Satellite Communications Training crash course provides attendees with an in-depth knowledge of satellite communication principals and techniques and key emerging technologies.
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.