Satellite Communications in the V and W Band: Tropospheric Effects
Abstract
An investigation into the use of Weather Cubes compiled by the atmospheric characterization package, Laser Environmental Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR), to develop accurate, long-term attenuation statistics for link-budget analysis is presented. A Weather Cube is a three-dimensional mesh of numerical weather prediction (NWP) data plus LEEDR calculations that allows for the quantification of rain, cloud, aerosol, and molecular effects at any UV to RF wavelength on any path contained within the cube. The development of this methodology is motivated by the potential use of V (40-75 GHz) and W (75-110 GHz) band frequencies for the satellite communication application, as V and W band frequencies incur very significant lower atmospheric attenuation. Total path attenuation probability of exceedance curves are compared against ground based radiometric measurements of slant-path attenuation in the V and W bands, as well as relevant International Telecommunication Union recommendations. The results of this work demonstrate the need for further improvements in this methodology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 22, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1056212
Entities
People
- Bertus A. Shelters
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology