- ADC
Analog to Digital
Conversion
- Apogee
The orbital point were
the satellite is furthest from the earth
- Apogee Kick Motor (AKM)
A motor on board the
satellite that enables the satellite to move from GTO to
GEO
- Bandwidth
Range on frequency the
transponder can transmit, in MHz Give a measure of
capacity
- BOL
Begin Of Life
- BUD
Big Ugly Dish
- Carrier
to Noise ratio (C/N)
- Ratio which express the
quality of a signal (the higher the better)
- Catalog number
The number that
identifies a satellite, attributed by NASA.
- CDMA
Code Division Multiple
Access. Access method for several stations to go through a
single transponder which uses spread spectrum modulations
and orthogonal codes.
- Clarke belt
The geostationary
orbit, named after Arthur Clarke who first said that such
an orbit should exist
- COMINT
Communication
Intelligence
- CONUS
Continental United
States (all states but Alaska and Hawaii)
- Coverage
Zone where the
satellite's signals can be received
-
C-band
US frequency chart (starting horizontal) (GHz)
Horizontal
Uplink |
Horizontal
Downlink |
Channel |
Vertical
Downlink |
Vertical
Uplink |
| |
3.720 |
1 |
|
5.945 |
| 5.965 |
|
2 |
3.740 |
|
| |
3.760 |
3 |
|
5.985 |
| 6.005 |
|
4 |
3.780 |
|
| |
3.800 |
5 |
|
6.025 |
| 6.045 |
|
6 |
3.820 |
|
| |
3.840 |
7 |
|
6.065 |
| 6.085 |
|
8 |
3.860 |
|
| |
3.880 |
9 |
|
6.105 |
| 6.125 |
|
10 |
3.900 |
|
| |
3.920 |
11 |
|
6.145 |
| 6.165 |
|
12 |
3.940 |
|
| |
3.960 |
13 |
|
6.185 |
| 6.205 |
|
14 |
3.980 |
|
| |
4.000 |
15 |
|
6.225 |
| 6.245 |
|
16 |
4.020 |
|
| |
4.040 |
17 |
|
6.265 |
| 6.285 |
|
18 |
4.060 |
|
| |
4.080 |
19 |
|
6.305 |
| 6.325 |
|
20 |
4.100 |
|
| |
4.120 |
21 |
|
6.345 |
| 6.365 |
|
22 |
4.140 |
|
| |
4.160 |
23 |
|
6.385 |
| 6.405 |
|
24 |
4.180 |
|
Horizontal
Uplink |
Horizontal
Downlink |
Channel |
Vertical
Downlink |
Vertical
Uplink |
| 5.945 |
|
1 |
3.720 |
|
| |
3.740 |
2 |
|
5.965 |
| 5.985 |
|
3 |
3.760 |
|
| |
3.780 |
4 |
|
6.005 |
| 6.025 |
|
5 |
3.800 |
|
| |
3.820 |
6 |
|
6.045 |
| 6.065 |
|
7 |
3.840 |
|
| |
3.860 |
8 |
|
6.085 |
| 6.105 |
|
9 |
3.880 |
|
| |
3.900 |
10 |
|
6.125 |
| 6.145 |
|
11 |
3.920 |
|
| |
3.940 |
12 |
|
6.125 |
| 6.185 |
|
13 |
3.960 |
|
| |
3.980 |
14 |
|
6.205 |
| 6.225 |
|
15 |
4.000 |
|
| |
4.020 |
16 |
|
6.245 |
| 6.265 |
|
17 |
4.040 |
|
| |
4.060 |
18 |
|
6.285 |
| 6.305 |
|
19 |
4.080 |
|
| |
4.100 |
20 |
|
6.325 |
| 6.345 |
|
21 |
4.120 |
|
| |
4.140 |
22 |
|
6.365 |
| 6.385 |
|
23 |
4.160 |
|
| |
4.180 |
24 |
|
6.405 |
DBS
- Direct Broadcast
Satellite
- dBW
ratio of the power to
one Watt in decibels (unit used to express EIRP values)
- DC power
Total power produced by
the solar panels or nuclear reactor
- DCME
Digital Circuit
Multiplication Equipment
- DCP
Data Collection Platform
- Downlink
The satellite to earth
signal path
- DTH
Direct To Home
- EIRP
Effective Isotropic
Radiated Power
Technical value that evaluates the strength of receive
signals
- ELINT
Electronic Intelligence
- EOL
End Of Life
- FDMA
Frequency Division
Multiple Access Access method to a transponder by multiple
stations each using 1 unique frequency
- Footprint
A map of EIRP values
that express the signal strengths at a given location
-
- Frequencies (GHz if not
specified)
| HF-band |
1.8
- 30 MHz |
| VHF-band |
50
- 146 MHz |
| P-band |
0.230
- 1.000 |
| UHF-band |
0.430
- 1.300 |
| L-band |
1.530
- 2.700 |
| FCC's
digital radio |
2.310
- 2.360 |
| SHF-band |
3
- 30 |
| S-band |
2.700
- 3.500 |
| C-band |
Downlink:
3.700 - 4.200
Uplink: 5.925 - 6.425
Standard
US chart (horizontal)
Standard
US chart (vertical) |
| X-band |
Downlink:
7.250 - 7.745
Uplink: 7.900 - 8.395 |
| Ku-band
(Europe) |
Downlink:
FSS: 10.700 - 11.700
BSS/DBS: 11.700 - 12.500
Telecom: 12.500 - 12.750
Uplink:
FSS & Telecom: 14.000 - 14.800
BSS/DBS: 17.300 - 18.100 |
| Ku-band
(America) |
Downlink:
FSS: 11.700 - 12.200
BSS/DBS: 12.200 - 12.700
Uplink:
FSS: 14.000 - 14.500
BSS/DBS: 17.300 - 17.800 |
| Ka-band |
has
multiple acceptations...
roughly: 18 - 31 GHz |
| EHF-band |
30
- 300 |
| V-band |
36
- 51.4 |
-
- GEO
- Geostationary Earth
Orbit
- Geostationary orbit
The circular orbit at
35.780 km above the equator. Satellites slotted on this
orbit always appear at the same position in the sky. In
degrees towards East (E or positive) or West (W or
negative) from the Greenwich meridian.
- G/T
- Unit of measurement for an
antenna + LNA Expressed from the gain and and noise
temperature. The higher the better
- GTO
Geostationary Transfer
Orbit
Geostationary satellites are usually launched on a
temporary orbit before being moved to GEO
- Inclined
Orbit
Term used for a GEO
satellite that has turned off its North/South
stabilization. From Earth, such a satellite seems to draw
an 8 in the sky; part of the day it is above the Equator,
and then below.
- IOL
Inter-Orbit Link
- Launch
id
Launch number that
identifies the flight.
- LEO
Low Earth Orbit
- LNA
Low Noise Amplifier
- LHCP
Left Hand Circular
Polarization
- LTWTA
Linearized Traveling
Wave Tube Amplifier
- Microsat
Satellite weighing
between 10 and 100 kg
- Minisat
Satellite weighing
between 100 and 1000 kg
- Nanosat
Satellite weighing
between 1 and 10 kg
- PAM
Payload Assist Module
- Perigee
The orbital point were
the satellite is closest from the earth
- Picosat
Satellite weighing
less than 1 kg
- Polar orbit
Orbit that is
perpendicular to the plan of the Equator
- Polarization
Plane of vibration of
the electrical field of a signal Different polarizations
enable better frequency re-use
- Power
The transponder
amplification power
- RADINT
Radar Intelligence
- RHCP
Right Hand Circular
Polarization
- SCPC
Single Channel Per
Carrier
Access method for a large number of signals to go through
a single transponder
- SIGINT
Signal Intelligence
- SSPA
Solid State Power
Amplifier
- TDMA
- Time Division Multiple
Access Access system where each station has a time slot
for using a unique carrier shared with others
- THEO
- Twelve Hours Exocentric
Orbit.
- Transponder
The association of a
receiver, frequency converter and transmitter devices in a
satellite
- TWTA
Traveling Wave Tube
Amplifier
- Uplink
The earth to satellite
signal path
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