The Communications Satellite

This technical survey of spaceflight technology has been designed to explain the basic workings of the communications satellite. Following an initial discussion of satellite design philosophy, the first section of the book covers the major spacecraft subsystems, problems inherent in their design and the relevant engineering solutions. The second half of the text is a case study of a particular type of communications satellite - that designed for direct broadcasting of television - which outlines techniques that can be applied to the communications systems of any space vehicle, manned or unmanned. The text concludes with the derivation of a link budget for the uplink and downlink transmission paths - the calculation that reflects the ultimate viability of the system. Although aimed primarily at the undergraduate, the text will also benefit those professional engineers who require a working knowledge of the subject.