REAL-TIME FADE MITIGATION USING RADIOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS FOR FUTURE KA-BAND SERVICES AT DLR.

Kurzfassung

Due to the congestion of popular C- and Ku-band frequencies, the satellite communication systems are rapidly moving toward the higher frequencies. Most of the commercial communication satellites in the near future will operate Ka-band transponders. One of the inevitable part of such systems are ground stations which support In-Orbit-testing and the traffic routine for the satellites. The main problem at Ka-band link planning is the link availability reduction due to rain fade and scintillation, which effects in a link margin reduction. The only efficient way to deal with this problem is to use Fade Mitigation Techniques (FMT) which allows adaptable margins to be used. This paper discusses the possibility of implementing an open loop FMT for future DLR's Ka-band Ground Station based on the long-term fading models, radiometric and beacon measurements. The real-time fade prediction and mitigation problem is discussed and the solutions for long- and short-term fade variations are presented.