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Tactically Extensible and Modular Communications - X-Band

Authors:
William Sims
Kosta Varnavas
Joseph Casas
Stephen Spehn
Neal Kendrick
Stephen Cross
Paul Sanderson
Janice Booth

Keywords: Software Defined Radio, Tactically Extensible, CubeSats, lower-cost small satellite solutions, Programmable Lightweight System Adaptable Radio, PULSAR, Electronically Steerable Phased Array, Tactically Extensible and Modular Communications, TEMCOM-X, Forw

Abstract:
This paper will discuss a proposed CubeSat size (3U) telemetry system concept being developed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army and Dynetics Corporation. This telemetry system incorporates efficient, high-bandwidth communications by developing flight-ready, low-cost, Proto-flight software defined radio (SDR) and Electronically Steerable Patch Array (ESPA) antenna subsystems for use on platforms as small as CubeSats and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). The current telemetry system is slightly larger in dimension of footprint than required to fit within a 0.5U CubeSat volume. Extensible and modular communications for CubeSat technologies will partially mitigate current capability gaps between traditional strategic space platforms and lower-cost small satellite solutions. Higher bandwidth capacity will enable high-volume, low error-rate data transfer to and from tactical forces or sensors operating in austere locations (e.g., direct imagery download, unattended ground sensor data exfiltration, interlink communications), while also providing additional bandwidth and error correction margin to accommodate more complex encryption algorithms and higher user volume.

Pages: 66 to 69

Copyright: Copyright (c) The Government of NASA, 2015. Used by permission to IARIA.

Publication date: April 19, 2015

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4480

ISBN: 978-1-61208-397-1

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from April 19, 2015 to April 24, 2015