Session
Weekend Poster Session 1
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Long Range (LoRa) is a widely used technology for terrestrial communications and is increasingly utilized for space related applications. On the ground, the LoRaWAN protocol allows gateways connected to the internet to serve as transceivers for any eligible end device in range of LoRa modulated signal. Certified gateways are produced by a variety of manufacturers with a range of capabilities, and publicly available networks contain thousands of gateways distributed around the world. Now, we propose to utilize the worldwide network of LoRaWAN gateways as a distributed ground station network capable of significantly reducing delays in link availability for a satellite in LEO. Using a COTS transceiver based on the LoRaWAN protocol, a module will be developed that functions as an end device in network architecture. As a half-duplex communication subsystem it will be capable of sending small packages of selective telemetry and receiving specific commands for essential functions, and will have worldwide compatibility in the range of 868 MHz to 915 MHz. Currently the module is planned to function as the secondary communication subsystem on the Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-3 (CXBN-3) satellite, a 2U CubeSat mission under construction by students at Morehead State University to explore the diffuse emission of hard X-rays in the Cosmic X-Ray Background (CXB). This paper will describe the feasibility of LoRaWAN technology for LEO applications through the evaluation of a LoRaWAN space-based end device, its development based on a COTS transceiver, and validation testing to simulate LEO range by using LoRaWAN commercial gateways.
SSC23-WP1-07 Poster
Feasibility of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) Technology for LEO Applications
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Long Range (LoRa) is a widely used technology for terrestrial communications and is increasingly utilized for space related applications. On the ground, the LoRaWAN protocol allows gateways connected to the internet to serve as transceivers for any eligible end device in range of LoRa modulated signal. Certified gateways are produced by a variety of manufacturers with a range of capabilities, and publicly available networks contain thousands of gateways distributed around the world. Now, we propose to utilize the worldwide network of LoRaWAN gateways as a distributed ground station network capable of significantly reducing delays in link availability for a satellite in LEO. Using a COTS transceiver based on the LoRaWAN protocol, a module will be developed that functions as an end device in network architecture. As a half-duplex communication subsystem it will be capable of sending small packages of selective telemetry and receiving specific commands for essential functions, and will have worldwide compatibility in the range of 868 MHz to 915 MHz. Currently the module is planned to function as the secondary communication subsystem on the Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-3 (CXBN-3) satellite, a 2U CubeSat mission under construction by students at Morehead State University to explore the diffuse emission of hard X-rays in the Cosmic X-Ray Background (CXB). This paper will describe the feasibility of LoRaWAN technology for LEO applications through the evaluation of a LoRaWAN space-based end device, its development based on a COTS transceiver, and validation testing to simulate LEO range by using LoRaWAN commercial gateways.
