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A technical comparison of three low earth orbit satellite constellation systems to provide global broadband
Open accessAbstract
Abstract The idea of providing Internet access from space has made a strong comeback in recent years. After a relatively quiet period following the setbacks suffered by the projects proposed in the ’90s, a new wave of proposals for large constellations of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide global broadband access emerged between 2014 and 2016. Compared to their predecessors, the main differences of these systems are: increased performance that results from the use of digital communication payloads, advanced modulation schemes, multi-beam antennas, and more sophisticated frequency reuse schemes, as well as the cost reductions from advanced manufacturing processes (such as assembly line, highly automated, and continuous testing) and reduced launch costs. This paper compares three such large LEO satellite constellations, namely SpaceX's 4425 satellites Ku-Ka-band system, OneWeb's 720 satellites Ku-Ka-band system, and Telesat's 117 satellites Ka-band system. First, we present the system architecture of each of the constellations (as described in their respective FCC filings as of September 2018), highlighting the similarities and differences amongst the three systems. Following that, we develop a statistical method to estimate the total system throughput (sellable capacity), considering both the orbital dynamics of the space-segment and the variability in performance induced by atmospheric conditions both for the user and feeder links. Given that the location and number of ground stations play a major role in determining the total system throughput, and since the characteristics of the ground segment are not described in the FCC applications, we then run an optimization procedure to minimize the total number of stations required to support the system throughput. Finally, we conclude by identifying some of the major technical challenges that the three systems will have to overcome before becoming operational.
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Cited by
The Role of Millimeter-Wave Technologies in 5G/6G Wireless Communications
Hong, W., Jiang, Z. H., Yu, C., Hou, D., Wang, H., Guo, C., Hu, Y., Kuai, L., Yu, Y., Jiang, Z., et al. (2021) · IEEE Journal of Microwaves · doi:10.1109/jmw.2020.3035541 · Cited by 915
Analysis of Inter-Satellite Link Paths for LEO Mega-Constellation Networks
Chen, Q., Giambene, G., Yang, L., Fan, C., & Chen, X. (2021) · IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology · doi:10.1109/tvt.2021.3058126 · Cited by 335
Pachler, N., del Portillo, I., Crawley, E. F., & Cameron, B. G. (2021) · 2021 IEEE International Conference on Communications Workshops (ICC Workshops) · doi:10.1109/iccworkshops50388.2021.9473799 · Cited by 310
Self-citationLow Earth Orbit Satellite Security and Reliability: Issues, Solutions, and the Road Ahead
Yue, P., An, J., Zhang, J., Ye, J., Pan, G., Wang, S., Xiao, P., & Hanzo, L. (2023) · IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials · doi:10.1109/comst.2023.3296160 · Cited by 291
Ultra-Dense LEO Satellite Constellations: How Many LEO Satellites Do We Need?
Deng, R., Di, B., Zhang, H., Kuang, L., & Song, L. (2021) · IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications · doi:10.1109/twc.2021.3062658 · Cited by 218
Metadata
- Authors
- del Portillo, I., Cameron, B. G., & Crawley, E. F.
- Venue
- Acta Astronautica
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-06
- Volume
- 159
- Pages
- 123-135
- ISSN
- 0094-5765 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2921679472
- Cited by
- 979
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 70.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
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- del Portillo, I., Cameron, B. G., & Crawley, E. F. (2019). A technical comparison of three low earth orbit satellite constellation systems to provide global broadband. Acta Astronautica. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.03.040
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