ROCKETS FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATION.

The world needs a telecommunications system which could give constant field strength
at all times over the whole earth. Although it is possible to provide telephone links
between any two points on earth, the ionosphere can make long distance communication
difficult.
5 A rocket flying at 8 km/sec outside the earth's atmosphere would stay in orbit. It would
be like a second moon, going round the earth without using power. If the rocket were in
orbit 42,000 km above the earth, it would circle the earth once every 24 hours. It would
stay above the same spot on the earth.
10 It would be possible to build a space station in such an orbit by carrying up materials in
rockets. The station could be provided with transmitting and receiving equipment, and
could act as a repeater to relay transmissions between any two points on the hemisphere
beneath
15 For a world service at least three stations would be needed, placed at equal distances
around the earth. This is the only way to transmit around the whole world, using beams
in an unlimited number of channels. The station would have very low power needs, and
even if it were expensive at first the system would be much cheaper to run than present
ones.
The first manmade satellite was launched on 4 October 1957. Five years later the Telstar,
working in a low altitude orbit, made possible live broadcasts between North America
and: Europe. The transmissions lasted for about 24 minutes at a time, but the satellite had
the capacity for about sixty telephone circuits or a very limited TV channel.
20 Intelsat I had only 240 telephone channels, but now satellites like Intelsat V relay 75% of
international telephone calls. New satellites have high capacity, long life, and can be used
for telephone. television or computer data transmissions. Intelsat V has 12,000 circuits
for all types of telecommunications.
25 Transmissions from a satellite can give global or spot beam coverage, but they are
received by all earth stations in sight of the satellite. Each station selects the channels or
carriers which are addressed to it. In the same way, all stations in sight of a satellite can
use it simultaneously, and this is known as multiple access.
30 Earth stations must be capable of detecting very low level signals. Their parabolic
antennas, which track the satellite automatically, feed the signal to a low noise first stage
amplifier, which may be followed by a second stage travelling wave tube amplifier. The
earth station transmitting equipment is very powerful, emitting signals at up to 10 kW. In
some cases it is possible to control the satellite transponders and antennas from an earth
station. This process is known as telecommanding
35 INTELSAT was formed in 1964 to operate and maintain the global satellite
communications system. The agency designs and builds satellites, and organizes their
launching.
NASA, the U.S. space organization, is the main agency in the world for launching
satellites. NASA’s two and three stage Titan rockets safely launched all ten Gemini
manned spacecraft, as well as numerous satellites.
40 E.S.A., the European space agency, has produced the Ariane launch vehicle as a rival to
Titan. For a 1.2 tonne geostationary satellite an Ariane launch costs $30 million,
 compared to $75 million by Titan. However, although it is more costly, Titan is also
more reliable with 119 successful launches out of 122.
45 The Ariane consists of three stages, each of which is a pair of fuel tanks with one or more
rocket engines. The fuel from the two tanks burn when mixed in the engine. The large
first stage lifts, the vehicle through the atmosphere, and when the fuel tanks are empty
the section falls away, igniting the second stage. The process is repeated by the second
stage, then the third stage, which carries a computer and directional equipment in its front
end, and manoeuvres the satellite into position
50 Expendable launch vehicles such as Titan and Ariane now face strong competition from
NASA’s new generation of re-usable "Space Shuttle" launch vehicles. Although the cost
of a shuttle is as high as a billion dollars, the aeroplane like spacecraft is designed to go
into orbit repeatedly, thus reducing the cost of launching a satellite to around $16 million.
55 The space shuttle is launched with the aid of two booster rockets and an external fuel
tank. When the boosters are no longer needed they fall to earth by parachute, to be picked
up from the sea and used again. Later the fuel tank is released, but this is not recovered.
Once In orbit, the orbiter uses its own engines to manoeuvre. After the mission the
shuttle re-enters the earth's atmosphere and lands on a runway in the same way as an
aircraft.

(Text adapted from Telecommunications Developing Reading Skills in English. by D.

Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1985)