Session
Technical Session IX: Ground Systems
Abstract
We propose and demonstrate a commercial off-the-shelf (COTs) component based cubesat phased array ground station that offers multiple simultaneous beams for communicating with and localizing multiple visible cubesats. The ground station uses a receiver digital beamformer based on low cost software defined radios at each antenna element.
Phased array antennas provide spectrum reuse through spatial multiplexing, localization and tracking capabilities and interference rejection through steerable nulls to mitigate the effects of in-band terrestrial interferers. Growing interest in cubesats will lead to an increasingly crowded sky. Cubesat constellations may become increasingly common as the user community expands. Uncertainty in cubesat release conditions and limited sensor capability on the cubesat leads to uncertainty in post deployment cubesat position. Traditional ground stations are not designed to work in this environment.
Proposed phased array ground station services include publishing beams from the digital beamformer, allowing users to subscribe to the beams of interest at the times of interest. This represents a fundamental change in the traditional ground station user interface which typically relies on scheduling ground station time for each user in advance. A global network of phased array ground stations would enable the user community to take full advantage of their cubesats.
UHF Phased Array Ground Stations for Cubesat Applications
We propose and demonstrate a commercial off-the-shelf (COTs) component based cubesat phased array ground station that offers multiple simultaneous beams for communicating with and localizing multiple visible cubesats. The ground station uses a receiver digital beamformer based on low cost software defined radios at each antenna element.
Phased array antennas provide spectrum reuse through spatial multiplexing, localization and tracking capabilities and interference rejection through steerable nulls to mitigate the effects of in-band terrestrial interferers. Growing interest in cubesats will lead to an increasingly crowded sky. Cubesat constellations may become increasingly common as the user community expands. Uncertainty in cubesat release conditions and limited sensor capability on the cubesat leads to uncertainty in post deployment cubesat position. Traditional ground stations are not designed to work in this environment.
Proposed phased array ground station services include publishing beams from the digital beamformer, allowing users to subscribe to the beams of interest at the times of interest. This represents a fundamental change in the traditional ground station user interface which typically relies on scheduling ground station time for each user in advance. A global network of phased array ground stations would enable the user community to take full advantage of their cubesats.
