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Satellite Communication

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Countries send communications satellites into space for the purpose of telecommunications — both corporate and military. RAND research was at the forefront of examining the technology behind satellite communication during its early development.

Report

A Safe Way to Implement a Database of Satellite Anomalies

Jun 2, 2014

Satellite anomalies are malfunctions caused by solar particles, cosmic rays, or even space debris. A shared database could help identify solutions to prolong the lifetime of spacecraft that experience problems, and could be implemented in a way that would protect the privacy of the satellite operators.
Blog

Satellites for Rent

Nov 7, 2013

Reports earlier this year that the U.S. Department of Defense leased a Chinese satellite to support military operations in Africa sparked concern that the arrangement could compromise control over U.S. military communications, or, worse, allow Chinese intelligence gatherers access to privileged military data.

Explore Satellite Communication

Commentary

Space Safety Coordination: A Norm for All Nations

As space becomes more congested with satellites of all sizes and types, the need for every nation to actively participate in the space safety coordination system grows. Most spacefaring countries participate, but a few countries do not—notably, Russia and China. That creates greater potential for collisions and hazards from debris.

Apr 16, 2019
Content

Newt Minow: Crusader for the Public Interest

Newt Minow is an attorney and former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission known for his speech referring to television as a “vast wasteland.” He came to RAND in the early 1960s looking for help with what would become one of his signature accomplishments, the development of communications satellites. He's been a part of RAND's story ever since.

Jul 19, 2018
Commentary

Our Reliance on Space Tech Means We Should Prepare for the Worst

Space-enabled connectivity, technology, and services support a diverse array of political, military, and economic activities, many of which modern life on Earth relies upon and which the public often takes for granted. How prepared is global society to deal with the growing reliance on this technology and to mitigate associated risks?

Mar 12, 2018
Commentary

Intelsat Crash a Setback for Space Lift Competition

Sea Launch's recent failure means more than just a lost payload and revenue for Intelsat: It means the status quo for launch services will continue for a while longer, write Dave Baiocchi and William Welser.

Feb 12, 2013
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Space Command Sustainment Review: Improving the Balance Between Current and Future Capabilities

Space assets are vital to the economic, social, and military interests of the United States. Sustainment complexities suggest a need to define a AFSPC commandwide sustainment philosophy separating demand, supply, and integrator processes.

Jun 17, 2007
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Report

The Dynamics of Growth in Worldwide Satellite Communications Capacity

The dynamics of growth in worldwide satellite communications capacity over the past two decades is closely related to general economic growth.

Jan 1, 2003
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Optimal Commercial Satellite Leasing Strategies

A "rule of thumb" is set forth that communications planners can use in making efficient satellite leasing decisions while facing uncertain demand for satellite services.

Jan 1, 2003
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Concept-Level Analytical Procedures for Loading Nonprocessing Communication Satellites with Nonantijam Signals

Presents the analytical procedures and mathematical formulations required to construct a computer model of a military communication satellite system, load it efficiently with the radio signals required to support an operational scenario ...

Jan 1, 1996
Report

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Mutual Interference in Fast-Frequency-Hopped, Multiple-Frequency-Shift-Keyed, Spread-Spectrum Communication Satellite Systems

This report presents the results of a theoretical analysis of a frequency-hopping, multiple-frequency-shift-keyed, spread-spectrum communication system using a nonprocessing communication satellite transponder.

Jan 1, 1996
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Improving MILSATCOM Acquisition Outcomes: Lease Versus Buy

Military satellite communication systems will cost taxpayers billions of dollars. The magnitude of these costs and their distribution in the economy will be directly affected by whether public policymakers choose to lease or to buy these systems.

Jan 1, 1985
Report

Report

PACSAT: A Passive Communication Satellite for Survivable Command and Control

Examines passive communication satellites as alternatives to active communication satellites in the hostile environment that may exist in the postattack period of a nuclear war.

Jan 1, 1981
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Concepts of Signal Acquisition and Processing for Use With a Passive Space Communication Array

A passive communication satellite is attractive for relaying strategic messages between distant points under conditions where active communication satellite and other terrestrial links have been negated.

Jan 1, 1980
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Report

The Feasibility of Employing Frequencies between 20 and 300 GHz for Earth-Satellite Communications Links

Develops a model for estimating in a new way the statistical distributions of signal attenuation, sky noise temperature, and total atmospheric-induced degradation.

Jan 1, 1978
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Report

Media for Satellite Communication.

Satellites provide a powerful new means for distributing the communication media we have. Today at least 30 distinguishable media and multimedia combinations can be transmitted via satellite--where "medium" means a method of originating, encoding, t...

Jan 1, 1975
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The Communication Satellite--A Perspective for the 1970s.

International and domestic point-to-point communication satellite systems are expected to multiply throughout the decade. In developed regions, they will remain auxiliary to the overall ground communication complex, even though very significant in d...

Jan 1, 1971
Report

Report

Satellite Spacing and Frequency Sharing for Communication and Broadcast Services.

A general approach for the efficient use of satellite orbits and the radio frequency spectrum. The protection of received signals, equipment capabilities, and pertinent systems considerations are reviewed before systematically examining the principa...

Jan 1, 1970
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Report

Satellite Separation and the Allocation and Specification of Shared Spectrum Usage for Intense Exploitation.

A discussion of means of sharing the radio frequency spectrum above 3400 MHz among terrestrial microwave relay, satellite relay, and satellite earth stations for fixed or mobile communication services, including direct broadcast from satellites. Eac...

Jan 1, 1967
Report

Report

Multiple-access techniques for communication satellites: digital modulation, time-division multiplexing, and related signal processing [by] C. R. Lindholm.

An evaluation of digital transmission techniques for miltiple access to a communication satellite. Specific features of digital techniques are examined: time-division multiplexing, error correction codes, analog-to-digital conversion methods, and syn...

Jan 1, 1966
Report

Report

A class of codes for multiple-access satellite communication systems

A mathematical description of a specific method for allocating time and frequency in communication satellite systems that use time-frequency multiplexing for multiple random access. This method of constructing addresses from a time-frequency matrix c...

Jan 1, 1966
Report

Report

Navigation by satellite using two-way range and doppler data

Presentation of a method for obtaining a navigation capability as a bonus to a communication satellite system. The Memorandum is primarily concerned with the technology of determining a user vehicle's position from a single satellite by obtaining mu...

Jan 1, 1965

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RAND Topic:
Satellite Communication

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