3

Earth Stations

In Chapter 2, we discussed the basic structure of a satellite system. We now consider a vital part of the overall satellite system: earth stations. An earth station is a collection of equipment for communicating with the satellite, regardless of whether it is a fixed, mobile, aeronautical, or marine terminal. An earth station provides a means of transmitting the modulated radiofrequency (RF) carrier to the satellite within the uplink frequency spectrum and receiving the RF carrier from the satellite with the downlink frequency spectrum. It is the vital link between satellites and communication users.

This chapter considers a basic arrangement of an earth station, the technical and operational requirements, the different types ...

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