THE TRANSMISSION MEDIA IN SPACE COMMUNICATION,
Abstract
Communicating with a space vehicle entails transmission above and through the earth's atmosphere. Propagated radio energy is modified in various ways. The electromagnetic waves are bent, scattered, absorbed and their plane of polarization is rotated. The energy travels through the troposphere, the ionosphere, the Van Allen belts and the interplanetary regions. How these influence the propagation of radio waves is determined by the index of refraction and this is a function of the radio frequency. Rapid progress is currently being made in determining the physical state of the regions under discussion. The present knowledge of the state of these media is reviewed. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 15, 1960
- Accession Number
- AD0654358
Entities
People
- Isadore Katz
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory