Satellite Communication Systems - Design Principles

Non-Geostationary Orbit Satellite Systems - Introduction

Until the late 1980s satellites in non-geostationary orbit had limited use for communication applications because, in general, these systems are more complex and, since geostationary satellites met most requirements anyway, not much effort was spent on their development.

However, since the beginning of the 1990s there has been considerable interest throughout the world in the use of various types of non-geostationary orbits. In this chapter we will discuss the reasons behind the revival of this interest, considerations in design of a non-geostationary constellation with an example, and various types of network-related issues. We will then give examples of some of the more technically interesting emerging non-geostationary systems.