Survey of Inter-satellite Communication for Small Satellite Systems: Physical Layer to Network Layer View

Small satellite systems enable whole new class of missions for navigation, communications, remote sensing and scientific research for both civilian and military purposes. As individual spacecraft are limited by the size, mass and power constraints, mass-produced small satellites in large constellations or clusters could be useful in many science missions such as gravity mapping, tracking of forest fires, finding water resources, etc. Constellation of satellites provide improved spatial and temporal resolution of the target. Small satellite constellations contribute innovative applications by replacing a single asset with several very capable spacecraft which opens the door to new applications. With increasing levels of autonomy, there will be a need for remote communication networks to enable communication between spacecraft. These space based networks will need to configure and maintain dynamic routes, manage intermediate nodes, and reconfigure themselves to achieve mission objectives. Hence, inter-satellite communication is a key aspect when satellites fly in formation. In this paper, we present the various researches being conducted in the small satellite community for implementing inter-satellite communications based on the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model. This paper also reviews the various design parameters applicable to the first three layers of the OSI model, i.e., physical, data link and network layer. Based on the survey, we also present a comprehensive list of design parameters useful for achieving inter-satellite communications for multiple small satellite missions. Specific topics include proposed solutions for some of the challenges faced by small satellite systems, enabling operations using a network of small satellites, and some examples of small satellite missions involving formation flying aspects.Comment: 51 pages, 21 Figures, 11 Tables, accepted in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial

Reconfigurable Antenna Systems: Platform implementation and low-power matters

Antennas are a necessary and often critical component of all wireless systems, of which they share the ever-increasing complexity and the challenges of present and emerging trends. 5G, massive low-orbit satellite architectures (e.g. OneWeb), industry 4.0, Internet of Things (IoT), satcom on-the-move, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles, all call for highly flexible systems, and antenna reconfigurability is an enabling part of these advances. The terminal segment is particularly crucial in this sense, encompassing both very compact antennas or low-profile antennas, all with various adaptability/reconfigurability requirements. This thesis work has dealt with hardware implementation issues of Radio Frequency (RF) antenna reconfigurability, and in particular with low-power General Purpose Platforms (GPP); the work has encompassed Software Defined Radio (SDR) implementation, as well as embedded low-power platforms (in particular on STM32 Nucleo family of micro-controller). The hardware-software platform work has been complemented with design and fabrication of reconfigurable antennas in standard technology, and the resulting systems tested. The selected antenna technology was antenna array with continuously steerable beam, controlled by voltage-driven phase shifting circuits. Applications included notably Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) deployed in the Italian scientific mission in Antarctica, in a traffic-monitoring case study (EU H2020 project), and into an innovative Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) antenna concept (patent application submitted). The SDR implementation focused on a low-cost and low-power Software-defined radio open-source platform with IEEE 802.11 a/g/p wireless communication capability. In a second embodiment, the flexibility of the SDR paradigm has been traded off to avoid the power consumption associated to the relevant operating system. Application field of reconfigurable antenna is, however, not limited to a better management of the energy consumption. The analysis has also been extended to satellites positioning application. A novel beamforming method has presented demonstrating improvements in the quality of signals received from satellites. Regarding those who deal with positioning algorithms, this advancement help improving precision on the estimated position

Design and Implementation of a Narrow-Band Intersatellite Network with Limited Onboard Resources for IoT

Satellite networks are inevitable for the ubiquitous connectivity of M2M (machine to machine) and IoT (internet of things) devices. Advances in the miniaturization of satellite technology make networks in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) predestined to serve as a backhaul for narrow-band M2M communication. To reduce latency and increase network responsivity, intersatellite link capability among nodes is a key component in satellite design. The miniaturization of nodes to enable the economical deployment of large networks is also crucial. Thus, this article addresses these key issues and presents a design methodology and implementation of an adaptive network architecture considering highly limited resources, as is the case in a nanosatellite (≈10 kg) network. Potentially applicable multiple access techniques are evaluated. The results show that a time division duplex scheme with session-oriented P2P (point to point) protocols in the data link layer is more suitable for limited resources. Furthermore, an applicable layer model is defined and a protocol implementation is outlined. To demonstrate the technical feasibility of a nanosatellite-based communication network, the S-NET (S band network with nanosatellites) mission has been developed, which consists of four nanosatellites, to demonstrate multi-point crosslink with 100 kbps data rates over distances up to 400 km and optimized communication protocols, pushing the technological boundaries of nanosatellites. The flight results of S-NET prove the feasibility of these nanosatellites as a space-based M2M backhaul.BMWi, 50YB1225, S-Band Netzwerk für kooperierende SatellitenBMWi, 50YB1009, SLink - S-Band Transceiver zur Intersatelliten-Kommunikation von NanosatellitenDFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2019 - 2020 / Technische Universität Berli

WiLiTV: A Low-Cost Wireless Framework for Live TV Services

With the evolution of HDTV and Ultra HDTV, the bandwidth requirement for IP-based TV content is rapidly increasing. Consumers demand uninterrupted service with a high Quality of Experience (QoE). Service providers are constantly trying to differentiate themselves by innovating new ways of distributing content more efficiently with lower cost and higher penetration. In this work, we propose a cost-efficient wireless framework (WiLiTV) for delivering live TV services, consisting of a mix of wireless access technologies (e.g. Satellite, WiFi and LTE overlay links). In the proposed architecture, live TV content is injected into the network at a few residential locations using satellite dishes. The content is then further distributed to other homes using a house-to-house WiFi network or via an overlay LTE network. Our problem is to construct an optimal TV distribution network with the minimum number of satellite injection points, while preserving the highest QoE, for different neighborhood densities. We evaluate the framework using realistic time-varying demand patterns and a diverse set of home location data. Our study demonstrates that the architecture requires 75 - 90% fewer satellite injection points, compared to traditional architectures. Furthermore, we show that most cost savings can be obtained using simple and practical relay routing solutions

The use of satellites in non-goestationary orbits for unloading geostationary communication satellite traffic peaks. Volume 2: Technical report

The part of the geostationary (GEO) orbital arc used for United States domestic fixed, communications service is rapidly becoming filled with satellites. One of the factors currently limiting its utilization is that communications satellites must be designed to have sufficient capacity to handle peak traffic leads, and thus are under utilized most of the time. A solution is to use satellites in suitable non-geostationary orbits to unload the traffic peaks. Three different designs for a non-geostationary orbit communications satellite system are presented for the 1995 time frame. The economic performance is analyzed and compared with geostationary satellites for two classes of service, trunking and customer premise service. The result is that the larger payload of the non-geostationary satellite offsets the burdens of increased complexity and worse radiation environment to give improved economic performance. Depending on ground terminal configuration, the improved economic performance of the space segment may be offset by increased ground terminal expenses

Software Defined Radio Implementation Of Ds-Cdma In Inter-Satellite Communications For Small Satellites

The increased usage of CubeSats recently has changed the communication philosophy from long-range point-to-point propagations to a multi-hop network of small orbiting nodes. Separating system tasks into many dispersed satellites can increase system survivability, versatility, configurability, adaptability, and autonomy. Inter-satellite links (ISL) enable the satellites to exchange information and share resources while reducing the traffic load to the ground. Establishment and stability of the ISL are impacted by factors such as the satellite orbit and attitude, antenna configuration, constellation topology, mobility, and link range. Software Defined Radio (SDR) is beginning to be heavily used in small satellite communications for applications such as base stations. A software-defined radio is a software program that does the functionality of a hardware system. The digital signal processing blocks are incorporated into the software giving it more flexibility and modulation. With this, the idea of a remote upgrade from the ground as well as the potential to accommodate new applications and future services without hardware changes is very promising. Realizing this, my idea is to create an inter-satellite link using software defined radio. The advantages of this are higher data rates, modification of operating frequencies, possibility of reaching higher frequency bands for higher throughputs, flexible modulation, demodulation and encoding schemes, and ground modifications. However, there are several challenges in utilizing the software-defined radio to create an inter-satellite link communication for small satellites. In this paper, we designed and implemented a multi-user inter-satellite communication network using SDRs, where Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technique is utilized to manage the multiple accesses to shared communication channel among the satellites. This model can be easily reconfigured to support any encoding/decoding, modulation, and other signal processing schemes

Software Defined Radio Implementation Of Ds-Cdma In Inter-Satellite Communications For Small Satellites

The increased usage of CubeSats recently has changed the communication philosophy from long-range point-to-point propagations to a multi-hop network of small orbiting nodes. Separating system tasks into many dispersed satellites can increase system survivability, versatility, configurability, adaptability, and autonomy. Inter-satellite links (ISL) enable the satellites to exchange information and share resources while reducing the traffic load to the ground. Establishment and stability of the ISL are impacted by factors such as the satellite orbit and attitude, antenna configuration, constellation topology, mobility, and link range. Software Defined Radio (SDR) is beginning to be heavily used in small satellite communications for applications such as base stations. A software-defined radio is a software program that does the functionality of a hardware system. The digital signal processing blocks are incorporated into the software giving it more flexibility and modulation. With this, the idea of a remote upgrade from the ground as well as the potential to accommodate new applications and future services without hardware changes is very promising. Realizing this, my idea is to create an inter-satellite link using software defined radio. The advantages of this are higher data rates, modification of operating frequencies, possibility of reaching higher frequency bands for higher throughputs, flexible modulation, demodulation and encoding schemes, and ground modifications. However, there are several challenges in utilizing the software-defined radio to create an inter-satellite link communication for small satellites. In this paper, we designed and implemented a multi-user inter-satellite communication network using SDRs, where Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technique is utilized to manage the multiple accesses to shared communication channel among the satellites. This model can be easily reconfigured to support any encoding/decoding, modulation, and other signal processing schemes