Satellite Subsystems

Satellite subsystems
Communications Satellite Sub-systems
The major subsystems required on the communications satellite are:
• Attitude & orbit control system (AOCS), consists of rocket

motors that are used to move the satellite back to the correct orbit
when external forces causes it to drift.
• Telemetry, Tracking & Command (TT&C), this is partly on the
satellite and partly on the controlling earth station. A dedicated earth
station is used for this purpose.
• Power system (mainly solar cells)
• Communications subsystem, these are the major components of a
communications satellite (transponders & antennas)
Attitude & Orbital Control
• AOC system is necessary to ensure that the narrow beam antennas

o
are pointing correctly to the earth, (within 0.1 )
• Several factors make the space craft tend to rotate and wobble and
change orbit (e.g. gravitational forces from sun, moon, and other
planets.)
• Different forms of stabilization are used e.g. entire craft is rotated at

30-100 RPM to provide gyroscopic action by using spinners. 3- axis
stabilization using 3 momentum wheels mounted on 3 orthogonal
axes. Also closed loop control of the attitude.)
Telemetry System
•Collects data from many sensors and sends them to the
control earth station :
1) Pressure in fuel tanks

2) Current drawn by each subsystem
3) Critical voltages & currents
4) Temperatures.
5) Status & positions of switches
6) sighting devices used to maintain attitude
• Low data rate is used to allow the receiver at the earth station to have narrow
band-width and maintain high C/N ratio.
Tracking
• The determination of the current orbit and position of
the spacecraft.
• Velocity & acceleration sensors are employed.
• The control earth station can observe the doppler shift

of the telemetry carrier to determine the rate of change
of the range.
• Triangulation can be used from measurements from
several earth stations observing the satellite.
Command System
• Secure & effective command structure is vital for the successful
launch and operation of a communication satellite.
• The command system is used for:
• Making changes in attitude & orbit correction
• Controlling the communications system
• Controlling the firing of the apogee boost motor
•Spinning up a spinner spacecraft

•Extending the solar sails of a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft
• Safeguards against errors in received commands are built in command
structure.
– Command originates at the control terminal by converting a control

code into a command word which is sent in a TDM frame to the
satellite.
– Validity is checked and sent back via the telemetry link where it is
checked again in the computer.
– If the command word is received correctly, an execute instruction will
be sent to the satellite.
– The entire process takes 5-10 sec. And minimizes the risk of
malfunctioning.
Typical Tracking, Telemetry & Command System
Power System
➸ All communication satellites obtain their power from solar
cells.
➸ Solar radiation falling on a geostationary spacecraft has
intensity of 1.39 kw/m2( solar cell efficiency is 10-15%).
➸ Efficiency of solar cells falls with time due to aging and
etching of the surface.
➸ Space crafts carry batteries to power the subsystems
during launch and eclipses.
Communications System
➸ A communications satellite exists to provide a platform

in the orbit for relaying of voice, video, and data.
➸ Comm. Satellites are designed to provide the largest
traffic capacity possible. (e.g. the INTELSAT system)
➸ The INTELSAT example shows that successive satellites
become larger, heavier, more expensive, and handles
more traffic. Result: lower cost per telephone circuit.
Antenna Subsystem
Solar panels
Antennas
Earth
Basically four main type of antennas are used these are :
1)Monopoles and dipoles (wire antennas) which are mainly used in VERY
HIGH FREQUENCY AND ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY to provide
communication for TTC and M subsystem.
2)Horn antennas are mainly used at microwave frequencies. Horns are

actually used as feeds for reflector.
3)Array antennas are actually phased array antennas which are used on
satellites to form multiple beams from single aperture.
4)Reflector antennas are commonly used for earth station antennas and the
most widely employed shape of it is the paraboloid with a feed placed at its
focus.
EQUIPMENT RELIABILITY AND SPACE QUALIFICATION.
To guarantee the reliability, two separate

approaches are used:
1)Space qualification of every part of satellite to

ensure its long life expectancy
2) Redundancy of the most critical components to

provide continued operation when one component
fails.
Space qualification
When a satellite is designed, three prototype

models are often built and tested:
1)The mechanical model

2)Thermal model
3)Electrical model.
Reliability
For most electronic

equipments,
probability of a
failure is higher at
the beginning of life
-the burn-in period
-than at some alter
time.
Fig.Bathtub curve for probability of failure.
Redundancy
In a satellite, many devices, each with a

different MTTF, are used, and failure of one
device may cause
catastrophic failure of a complete subsystem.
If redundant devices are incorporated, the
subsystem can continue to function correctly
If one TWTA fails, the

other is switched on
either automatically,
or by command from Fig.Redundancy connections.
the earth station. (c) Series/parallel
connection, (d) Switched
connection.

Satellite Subsystems

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What are the major subsystems of a communications satellite?

What are the major subsystems of a communications satellite?

How does a communications satellite maintain its orientation?

How does a communications satellite maintain its orientation?

Satellite subsystems

Communications Satellite Sub-systems

The major subsystems required on the communications satellite are:

• Attitude & orbit control system (AOCS), consists of rocket

• AOC system is necessary to ensure that the narrow beam antennas

• Different forms of stabilization are used e.g. entire craft is rotated at

1) Pressure in fuel tanks

• The control earth station can observe the doppler shift

•Spinning up a spinner spacecraft

– Command originates at the control terminal by converting a control

➸ A communications satellite exists to provide a platform

2)Horn antennas are mainly used at microwave frequencies. Horns are

To guarantee the reliability, two separate

1)Space qualification of every part of satellite to

2) Redundancy of the most critical components to

When a satellite is designed, three prototype

1)The mechanical model

For most electronic

In a satellite, many devices, each with a

If one TWTA fails, the

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