Satellite Frequency Bands

Background

• Satellite technology is developing fast, and the applications for satellite technology are increasing all the time.
• Not only can satellites be used for radio communications, but they are also used for astronomy, weather forecasting, broadcasting, mapping, and many more applications.
• With the variety of satellite frequency bands that can be used, designations have been developed so that they can be referred to easily.
• The higher frequency bands typically give access to wider bandwidths but are also more susceptible to signal degradation due to ‘rain fade’ (the absorption of radio signals by atmospheric rain, snow, or ice).
• Because of satellite’s increased use, number and size, congestion has become a serious issue in the lower frequency bands

Satellite Frequency Bands

• L-band (1–2 GHz)
  • Global Positioning System (GPS) carriers, Satellite mobile phones such as Iridium etc use this band
• S-band (2–4 GHz)
  • Weather radar, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites, especially those of NASA for communication with ISS and Space Shuttle.
• C-band (4–8 GHz)
  • Primarily used for satellite communications, for full-time satellite TV networks or raw satellite feeds.
  • Commonly used in areas that are subject to tropical rainfall, since it is less susceptible to rain fade than Ku band (the original Telstar satellite had a transponder operating in this band, used to relay the first live transatlantic TV signal in 1962).
• X-band (8–12 GHz)
  • Primarily used by the military.
  • Used in radar applications.
  • Also used in civil, military and government institutions for weather monitoring, air traffic control, maritime vessel traffic control, defense tracking, and vehicle speed detection for law enforcement.
• Ku-band (12–18 GHz)
  • Used for satellite communications.
• Ka-band (26–40 GHz)
  • Communications satellites for close up high resolutions applications, close-range targeting radars on military aircraft.

PRACTICE QUESTION

With reference to satellite frequency bands, consider the following statements:

1. The higher frequency bands typically give access to wider bandwidths but are also more susceptible to signal degradation

2. Satellite-based navigation system such as Global Positioning System and NAVIC works on higher satellite frequency band.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

                       A

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