Checking date: 03/05/2025 18:06:02


Course: 2025/2026

Satellite and space communications
(18513)
Bachelor in Mobile and Space Communications Engineering (Study Plan 2019) (Plan: 442 - Estudio: 217)


Coordinating teacher: MORALES CESPEDES, MAXIMO

Department assigned to the subject: Signal and Communications Theory Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
There are no specific requirements for this subject.
Objectives
- Choose the most appropriate architectures and platforms for a problem of satellite or space communications - Design orbits and locate the satellite in them - Analyze the coverage through link budgets - Choose the most appropriate modulations and multiple access techniques - Integrally design a space or satellite communications system - State of art of satellite communications. Satisfying the current requirements about satellite communications
Learning Outcomes
C2_ECRT1: Ability to learn and acquire autonomously the requisite new knowledge for the design, development and utilization of telecommunication systems and services. C6_ECRT5: Ability to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different alternative technologies for development and implementation of communication systems, from the point of view of signal space, perturbations and noise, and analog and digital modulation systems. C7_ECRT6: Ability to conceive, develop, organize and manage telecommunication networks, systems, services and infrastructures in residential (home, city, digital communities), business and institutional contexts, responsibility for set up, continuous improvement, together with knowledge of social and economic impact. C12_ETEGISC1: Ability to construct, use and manage telecommunication networks, services, processes and applications, such as systems for capture, transport, representation, processing, storage, and multimedia information presentation and management, from the point of view of transmission systems. C13_ETEGISC2: Ability to apply techniques on which telecommunication networks, services and applications are based in fixed environments as well as mobile, personal, local or long distance, with different bandwidths, including telephone, radio broadcasting, television and data, from the point of view of transmission systems. C16_ETEGISC5: Ability to select antennas, equipment and transmission systems, guided and non guided wave propagation, by electromagnetics, radiofrequency and optics means and the corresponding management of radio electronic space and frequency allocation.
Description of contents: programme
This course provides an overview of satellite communication systems and the background to address the integral design of this type of systems. The specificities of space communication systems for space missions, within the solar system and in outer space, are also tackled. The subject covers the following topics: 1. Introduction. a. History of the satellit communications b. Overview of the architecture and satellite and space communications platforms c. Future of satellite communications 2. Orbital concepts and angles a. Satellite launching and orbital concepts b. Main orbital parameters and impact on satellite communications c. LEO, MEO, GEO and HEO orbits 3. Satellite subsystems, link budget and planning a. Elements of satellite communcations b. Transmission, amplifiers and parabolic antennas c. Reception, noise and bandwidthRecepción, ruido, ancho de banda d. Propagation losses, small scale effects, losses because of noise and atmospheric gases 4. Modulation and multiple access for satellite and space communications a. Analog and digital modulations b. Orthogonal schemes. TDMA, FDMA, CDMA c. Frequency reuse 5. Satellite communications standards a. Video transmission based on DVB-S b. Satellite WiFi c. Satellite communications for 5G/6G 6. Communications systems in space missions a. Opmization of satellite communications b. Two-tier (GEO-LEO) satellite systems 7. Overview of emerging systems and technologies a. Nanosatellites and cubesats b. Hiper-dense satellite constellation c. Very high frequency satellites
Learning activities and methodology
The subject is developed through lectures, problems and practical cases, illustration of the concepts through simulations and personal work of the students.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination/test 60
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40

Calendar of Continuous assessment


Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • G. Maral, M. Bousquet. "Satellite communications systems: systems, techniques and technology. John Wiley & Sons. 1998
  • Zhili Sun. Satellite Networking: Principles and protocolos. Wiley.

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.