W-band (75-110 GHz) is proposed nowadays as a valuable alternative to intensively-exploited Ku- and Ka-bands for high-speed transmission over satellite networks. In such a framework, some experiments are being carried out, which are targeted to verify the feasibility of exploitation of W-band for broadband service deployment. From a theoretical viewpoint, the large bandwidth availability and the scarce amount of interference typical of W-band should guarantee high capacities. Nevertheless, many crucial aspects are still to be carefully investigated, e.g., signal propagation issues, RF impairments, choice of modulation and coding, efficient antenna design, etc. In this paper, an overview is made on the low Earth orbit (LEO) nano-satellite mission in-orbit key-test and validation of W-band (IKNOW). IKNOW mission is an ongoing advanced feasibility study part of an Italian Space Agency Project, named W-band analysis and verification (WAVE), coordinated by the Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome ldquoTor Vergatardquo. The main objective of the IKNOW mission is to tackle some of the unexplored critical aspects concerning W-band satellite transmission. In such a perspective, IKNOW should be regarded as a ldquopilot mission,rdquo whose results will be used for a first uplink-downlink satellite channel characterization, in-orbit validation of W-band technology, and space qualification processes. This paper is focused on the research work carried out in a preliminary phase of the IKNOW study and will also consider a number of elements related to the mission configuration, payload architecture, link analysis, potential RF impairment factors, and atmospheric effects. Proposed analysis and preliminary results shown can provide to interested readers the basic guidelines that will drive the practical implementation of IKNOW mission, as well as the most relevant issues to be faced by future developers of W-band missions using small LEO satellites.

/pdf/experimental-missions-in-w-band-a-small-leo-satellite-325wcsftuv.pdf

Experimental Missions in W -Band: A Small LEO Satellite Approach

Restoring the connectivity in the emergency areas and providing NAV/COM services able to support and coordinate the rescue teams represent two of the main telecommunication needs for efficient emergency situation management. The SALICE (Satellite-Assisted LocalIzation and Communication system for Emergency services) Project aimed at identifying the system architecture and the most suitable solutions to be adopted in the future integrated reconfigurable NAV/COM systems and to analyze their feasibility in realistic emergency scenarios. The article analyzes the proposed strategies and the most significant project results in pursuing both the global coverage of the emergency areas and the development of a reconfigurable and cooperative NAV/COM system.

/pdf/salice-project-satellite-assisted-localization-and-3fze401tof.pdf

SALICE project: Satellite-Assisted Localization and Communication Systems for Emergency Services

In this paper, the main trends of the latest space missions will be outlined, dealing with the advantages of using W-band in space communication systems. In the first part, an overview of the current projects involved in the study of W-band is shown, highlighting the reasons of its future widespread.

Perspectives of W-Band for Space Communications

Integration and convergence of different access technology is a key concept of 4G systems. This integration also includes the interface among terrestrial and aero-space components, whose importance has been so far under-estimated and not deeply understood. In this paper, a layered model of the 4G integrated network vision is introduced, highlighting details about the aero-space component. The concept of integration is discussed under different viewpoints, particularly highlighing integration among aero-space segments and related services (i.e. navigation). Examples of integration scenarios identified and investigated in the frame of research programs co-funded by Italian institutions are also displayed in the paper.

Convergence Towards 4G: A Novel View of Integration

The exploitation of the bandwidth portions in the millimeter wave domain, namely extremely high frequencies (EHFs) will open new perspectives to future satellite services, in particular for high quality TV broadcasting and multimedia content delivery. The present work aims at surveying the opportunities and challenges of EHF exploitation for broadband satellite applications in the broadcast framework. Theoretical capacity evaluation confirms that EHF satellite links can offer unprecedented data-rates, clearly superior than that actually provided by Ku and Ka-bands. However, some crucial issues are still to be solved, mainly in terms of mitigation of tropospheric propagation impairments and appropriate waveform design. Link and capacity analysis will be the basis for the investigation of future application scenarios of broadcast EHF satcoms, namely high-definition TV (HDTV) and ultra-HDTV, with particular emphasis to 4K and 8K video formats.

/pdf/extremely-high-frequency-ehf-bands-for-future-broadcast-4rantpp9sf.pdf

Extremely High Frequency (EHF) Bands for Future Broadcast Satellite Services: Opportunities and Challenges

In this paper, an overview of the WAVE mission payload architecture is presented. WAVE (W-band Analysis and VErification) is the new project funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The aim is to design and develop a W-band geostationary (GEO) payload to be deployed for scientific experimental studies of the W-band channel and possible utilization in satellite data communications. The large bandwidth availability in the W-band range allows conceiving and proposing advanced services for future scenarios in order to meet high-quality requirements for a large number of users. The major parameters of the payload architecture are discussed in addition to the different requirements and specifications of the on-board transmission and reception components and their dependence on the host platform

The WAVE mission payload

Nowadays, climate and meteorology assumed a fundamental role in manifold domains with the aim to understand how they affect life in modern society. Such a new sensitivity is the result of a major awareness of the Earth health and the need of better understanding the increasing climatic and meteorological changes recently observed. Actually, in the last years several satellite missions, single and cooperative, have been proposed and developed by NASA, ESA and JAXA. They aim at studying the overall atmosphere, its main elements and their close relations. On the other hand, in a different domain such as telecommunications, the low frequency bands crowding and the increase of broadband services diffusion has created the premises for the development of studies on the characterization and the development of telecommunications in the millimetric band not yet explored for this purpose (Q-V bands-35–75 GHz, W band-75–110 GHz). Actually, nowadays satellite telecommunications at Ka band can be considered a standard for broadband services. Higher frequencies such as Q-V bands are currently employed for military applications (SICRAL satellite of the Italian Defence Ministry) and soon for scientific applications (TDP#5 payload on-board the ESA Alphabus platform [1]). W band can be considered as the most important scientific frontier within the broadband satellite communications, since no satellite system operating at such a frequency has been developed, just studies such as DAVID and WAVE [2][3][4]. In the last years these fields registered a convergence of research activities towards the use of electromagnetic radiation at millimetre wavelengths, i.e. the EHF band (Extremely High Frequency, 30–300 GHz). In telecommunications the use of carriers at higher frequency implies theoretically the possibility of using wide bandwidth and hence greater data rate in down link. In the field of weather and climate satellite observations, the technology advancements of the last 10 years make available several sensors (radar, lidar, radiometers, etc.) in the 30–300 GHz band. They allow, by means of observations unpredictable some years ago, for broadening the knowledge of meteorological and climatological phenomena and the improvement of predictive models. However, the capability of collecting large data volumes leads to a related capability of transmitting the data to ground within reduced visibility windows. An integrated TeLeCommunication-Earth Observation approach (TLC-EO) could satisfy both needs. ARES (Advanced Research and Engineering for Space), a consortium constituted both by scientific institutions (the University of Rome Tor Vergata) and industrial partners (Rheinmetall Italy and TECS, TEchnological Consulting Services) carried out a feasibility study to investigate an innovative satellite devoted both to Earth remote sensing and to high frequency telecommunications. Both payloads are based on the common use of millimetric band to exploit the favourable characteristics of such high frequencies. The study is called PLATON (PayLoad for Advanced Telecommunication, Observation and Navigation) [5].

PLATON: Satellite remote sensing and telecommunication by using millimetre waves

The important role assumed by climate and meteorology in the contemporary society is witnessed by the increasing pervasiveness in the last years of several satellite missions, single and cooperative, proposed by NASA, ESA and JAXA, aimed at studying the overall atmosphere, its main elements and their close relations. Such a trend is the result of both a major awareness at global level of the Earth health and the need of better understanding the increasing climatic and meteorological changes recently observed. In the same way, in the telecommunication domain, the low frequency bands crowding and the increase of broadband services diffusion has created the premises for the development of studies on the characterization and the development of telecommunications in the millimetric band not yet explored for this purpose (Q-V bands-35-75 GHz, W band-75-110 GHz). At present, satellite telecommunications at Ka band can be considered a standard for broadband services. However, higher frequencies such as Q-V bands are currently employed for military applications (SICRAL satellite of the Italian Defence Ministry) and soon for scientific applications (TDP#5 payload on-board the ESA Alphabus platform [1]). On the other hand, W band can be considered as the most important scientific frontier within the broadband satellite communications, since no satellite system operating at such a frequency has been developed, just recently through DAVID and WAVE studies [2][3][4]. Considering the convergence of research activities in the field of Telecommunications and Weather and Climate Observations towards the use of millimetre wavelengths, ARES (Advanced Research and Engineering for Space), a consortium constituted both by scientific institutions (the University of Rome Tor Vergata) and industrial partners (Rheinmetall Italy and TECS, TEchnological Consulting Services) has recently proposed to the Italian Space Agency (ASI) a feasibility study to investigate an innovative satellite devoted both to Earth remote sensing and to high frequency telecommunications. Both payloads are based on the common use of millimetric band to exploit the favourable characteristics of such high frequencies. The study is called PLATON (PayLoad for Advanced Telecommunication, Observation and Navigation). PLATON will include a double telecommunication payload based on a Tx/Rx dual system at Ka/W band. Ka band will be devoted to download observation data while W band will be used to experiment W band propagation through a first tropospheric channel characterization. Moreover, a remote sensing payload constituted at least by a W band weather radar (94-96 GHz), devoted to characterize clouds distribution and constitution, and a multispectral radiometer (20-200 GHz) to investigate radiative fluxes through different layers, is foreseen. Complementary payloads could be envisaged to carry out a more extensive and spread atmospheric characterization such as Lidar, to take into account also aerosols and greenhouse gases, multispectral scanner and Fourier Transform Spectrometer. This paper aims at presenting the PLATON study and its main objectives, focusing on three of payloads outlining the main trade-offs which will be considered. The presentation will be focused on the radar and the lidar.

http://ieee.uniparthenope.it/chapter/_private/proc10/21.pdf

PLATON: PayLoad for advanced telecommunication, observation and navigation

Considering the convergence of research activities in the field of telecommunications and weather-climate observations toward the use of millimetre wavelengths, ARES (Advanced Research and Engineering for Space), a consortium constituted both by the University of Rome Tor Vergata and industrial partners (Rheinmetall Italy, TECS/TEchnological Consulting Services), has recently submitted a proposal for a feasibility study to investigate an innovative payload devoted both to Earth remote sensing and to high frequency telecommunications. Both the payload applications are based on the common use of millimetric band to capitalize on the favorable characteristics of such high frequencies. The study is called PLATONE (PayLoad ad Alta tecnologia per Telecomunicazioni ed Osservazione integrato con ricevitore software radio di NavigazionE, Italian acronym standing for the greek word PLATON, PayLoad for Advanced Telecommunication, Observation and Navigation). This paper aims at presenting the preliminary results of PLATONE study and its main objectives, outlining the main trade-offs that will be considered, waiting for the start of Phase A.12

A. Salome

Papers

The WAVE mission payload

PLATON: Satellite remote sensing and telecommunication by using millimetre waves

PLATON: PayLoad for advanced telecommunication, observation and navigation

PLATONE: A payload for climate monitoring and telecommunication experiments through millimetric waves