SATCOM Link between Indian Station at Antarctica and Mainland India
- Paper number
IAC-08.B2.5.8
- Author
Mr. S S Valdiya, Indian Space Research Organization, SAC, India
- Coauthor
Dr. M.Y.S. Prasad, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has established a SATCOM link between Indian station Matri (71deg S, 11 deg E) at Antarctica & mainland India by using geo-stationary satellite (Intelsat). The link has been established at normal C-band. The installation of earth station at coldest and driest continent on the earth sets a new landmark in ISRO’s SATCOM programme. The communication link has been designed for 1 Mbps data rate for the video conferencing, Internet browsing, video streaming and file transfer applications. This paper discusses the planning, design, fabrication, transportation, installation and commissioning of the earth station at Maitri, a place known for its harsh and unpredictable climate. The communication link has been designed to operate at very low elevation angle of around 5 degree. The selection of material for the antenna and its foundation has been done keeping in mind the climate of this cold white-swept desert. The system has been configured with full redundancy considering the isolation of the place with rest of the world. All the electronic-subsystems have been designed to operate satisfactorily in this vast cold zone of whiteness. The transportation of earth station material from Antarctica ice-shelf to Maitri station turned out to be very difficult and challenging task. The installation of antenna platform and radome at a coldest as well as windiest land with glacial moraine and boulders posed a great challenge to us. This SATCOM earth station will provide the vital communication support to the Indian scientific community pursuing their research work at Antarctica.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.B2.5.8.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.