Air Traffic Control Experimentation and Evaluation with the NASA ATS-6 Satellite. Volume III. Summary of U. S. Aeronautical Technology Test Program.

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) program for air traffic control (ATC) experimentation and evaluation with the ATS-6 satellite was part of the Integrated ATS-6 L-Band Experiment. This overall experiment was coordinated by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and was international in scope, involving several participants. All tests were performed between September 1974 and April 1975. The U.S. DOT aeronautical program consisted of both ATC communications demonstration and technology tests. Tests were in support of the aeronautical satellite (AEROSAT) program to collect satellite-aircraft signal propagation data, evaluate L-band avionics hardware designs, and perform preliminary satellite voice and data communications demonstration tests. All tests were conducted between the FAA KC-135 aircraft and the NASA-Rosman ground station via the geostationary ATS-6 satellite. This report presents data on the U.S. aeronautical technology tests. The technology tests were composed of multipath channel characterization tests; modem tests of voice, data and ranging; and aircraft antenna tests. Multipath results include delay-Doppler scatter function characteristics and calculations of spectra, spreads, and autocorrelations for both over-ocean and CONUS multipath. Comparisons of sample results with model prediction are given. Voice modem intelligibility scores, digital data bit-error rates and ranging modem performance are presented parametrically as functions of C/No and S/I. Experimentally derived gain and multipath rejection performance data are given for the slot-dipole, phased-array and patch antennas for various aircraft/satellite geometries.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1976
Accession Number
ADA041863

Entities

People

  • A. D. Thompson
  • C. J. Kuo
  • E. H. Schroeder
  • R. W. Sutton
  • S. G. Wilson

Organizations

  • Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Automatic Frequency Control
  • Automatic Gain Control
  • Circular Polarization
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Data Analysis
  • Detectors
  • Digital Data
  • Geometry
  • Low Angles
  • Measurement
  • Modulators
  • Range Finding
  • Systems Engineering
  • Test Equipment
  • Three Dimensional
  • United States

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Radio communications and signal processing.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Satellites