Space communication. Centers, systems and development of space communications

Today, no one is surprised by the many satellite dishes on the roofs of residential buildings. Space communication has become firmly established in the life of an ordinary citizen. Even in remote areas, now it is possible to watch TV shows and use the Internet, while having a high signal level. But all this became possible thanks to the work of the space communication centers, which will be discussed in this article.

The World Wide Web

In the modern world, the network is encircled by the whole world. In Russia, the possibility to receive high-quality television signals is provided by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Space Communication". This is one of the ten largest satellite operators in the world, with its own center for the compression of TV programs. In addition, it provides multiplexing of digital streams, forms packets of federal programs for television and radio broadcasting.

Cosmic component

The enterprise consists of an orbital constellation of 12 satellites of all ranges. The satellite service area is the entire territory of Russia, CIS, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Australia, North and South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The orbital position of spacecraft on the arc of the orbit - from 14 ° West longitude to 145 ° East longitude.

Earth component

The infrastructure that is on the ground is five space communication centers. They are located throughout the territory of Russia. In its activities, the enterprise is guided by the Federal Target Program for the Development of Broadcasting in the Russian Federation for 2009-2018. The range of services is very wide:

• Management, space communications and monitoring of space structures and apparatus;
• Communication and broadcasting (television and radio broadcasting, digital and satellite television) for 52 countries;
• Governmental and presidential ties;
• Main and sea communication.

Space communication systems

The transmission of information on the channel Earth - space satellite and back is carried out in various ways. In space, telemetric, telephone, telegraph and television systems are used. The most popular radiocommunication system. The main distinguishing features of space communications with flying space objects are the following:

• The constantly changing position of spacecraft;
• Continuous change in the frequency of the signal at reception;
• Limited lines of sight with land communication points;
• Limiting the power of transmitters located on spacecraft;
• Great range of communication.

The development of space communications

Everyone knows that the first connection with man in space was realized on April 12, 1961. The cosmonaut was Yuri Gagarin, throughout his flight sustained two-way telephone and telegraph communication of the Earth and the spaceship "Vostok" in the range of meter and decameter waves.

In the future, the space connection with the earth was improved, and already in August 1961 during the flight of cosmonaut G.S. Titov appeared with a reduced to 10 frames per second television image. Today, television systems of the standard standard are used, and the communication range reaches 350 million kilometers (with flights to Mars).

Technological and economic component

The service life of the satellite in orbit is about 15 years. During this time, new communication technologies are developing. One satellite with orbital launch costs up to 230 million dollars and the owner's task is to launch and effectively use it as a rental object. In Russia there are only two large corporations that can afford to have a satellite in the geostationary orbit - FSUE "Space Communications" and OAO Gazprom Space Systems.

Short wave problems

Radio communication with space objects and aircraft located at distances greater than 1,000 kilometers is conducted in the short-wave range. But in the modern world this range is not enough. The reasons for this are as follows:

• In the short-wave range, without a significant interruption, about a thousand radio stations can operate, and today they operate many times more.
• An ever-increasing level of interference requires the use of more powerful transmitters.
• A fundamental defect of this range is the multipath propagation of waves and the signal fading effect at the receiving point. This makes it almost impossible to connect in this range of not very large distances.

Ultra-short wave range is less loaded, but reception is carried out only in the visibility zone.

Exit satellites

It is the presence of a signal repeater in space, namely, on satellites, which gives prospects and opens new opportunities for the development of space communications. It can provide reliable communication with remote objects in space and cover the surface of the planet with a reliable radio and television backbone grid. Active and passive signal repeaters can be installed on satellites, and satellites themselves can be either stationary (stationary relative to the Earth) or flying in low orbits.