Communications Satellites
Orbits
2020 – As Orbiting Debris Increases, New Technologies Emerge for Tracking, Capturing
Calls for Space Tracking Mount
Infrastructure: Spacecraft Overview – TSRQ1 2019
Infrastructure: Spacecraft Overview - TSRQ1 2019 examines global spacecraft/satellite operations conducted throughout the three space sectors, military, civil government, and commercial. This edition covers communication, PNT, and Earth observation/remote sensing…
Infrastructure: Space Infrastructure – TSR 2018
Infrastructure: Space Infrastructure - TSR 2018 examines global human spaceflight operations to include both the Chinese and US space stations, launch vehicles from all spacefaring nations, communications satellite constellations, PNT…
2005 – Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) Space Activities
Satellites also provide mobile telephony services. Satellite mobile telephony enables regional to near-global coverage depending on the satellite or constellation, using handsets that communicate directly with a satellite. Mobile satellite…
2005 – Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Space Activities
Satellites have provided trunking for long-distance telephone service for decades. Most long-distance traffic is now routed over cable, avoiding the lag and other reductions in quality (such as echo) associated…
2012 – Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) Space Activities
One MSS industry leader, Iridium, is implementing a major network upgrade. In June 2010, Iridium selected France’s Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor for its second-generation satellite constellation, named Iridium…
2012 – Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Space Activities
GEO satellites can allow a signal to be beamed over a wide fixed coverage area, with the potential to reach a third of the Earth’s surface. They are thus ideal…
2013 – Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) Space Activities
Another MSS industry leader is Iridium, which operates a LEO constellation of ## active satellites to provide global coverage. The Iridium constellation uses intersatellite links to route network traffic directly…
Mobile Satellite Service Orbits
The MSS sector was created to address a specific market that was underserved by FSS: maritime voice and data, enabling emergency communications for ships at sea. Subsequent MSS systems tried…
Fixed Satellite Service Orbits
GEO satellites can broadcast a signal to one-third of the Earth’s surface. They are ideal for FSS operators, who broadcast to antennas spread across several continents. Of the ## communications…