Executive Summary:  This proposal encompasses the two principal tasks outlined in the solicitation:

a) “Conduct experimental measurements sufficient to statistically characterize atmospheric propagation physics at 71 – 76 GHz and 81 – 86 GHz to support systems engineering, assessment and design of future operational military satellite communication architectures and systems.

b) “Develop and validate communication link models over the 71 – 76 GHz and 81 – 86 GHz frequency bandwidths.”
Furthermore, it is understood that a key Phase 1 objective is to perform: “Modeling and simulation to demonstrate that the proposed concept is feasible and will meet mission requirements (propagation channel, link, RF systems, size, weight, power requirements).”



 

1.1 Assumptions:  This is a purely scientific investigation.  Radio wave propagation through high explosives, jammers, plasmas, chaff, and obscurants is not addressed.

The principal causes of channel disruption in the V/W-bands occur in the troposphere.  Ionospheric effects are not considered.



1.2 Benefits of this Approach:  Key benefits of the proposed Phase 1 approach are:

a)  The European Space Agency (ESA), and in particular the Italian Space Agency (ASI), have devoted considerable intellectual capital to the investigation of the V/W-band channel.  We an propose an Experiment Plan that shares the results of WSCE results in exchange for both ESA/ASI technical assistance and access to their data sets in follow-on phases.

b) A complete review and assessment of models addressing:

a. The physical channel: Rain, gaseous, cloud and fog attenuation.  Rain and ice depolarization.  Tropospheric scintillation.  Radio noise.

b. Space-time channel models.

c. Antenna models at the V/W-band.

c) A complete review of different fade mitigation techniques (FMT).

d) Specification of a full suite of meteorological data sources into the Experiment Plan (to include now-casting, multi-spectral radiometers and weather stations).

e) An Integration Plan that includes assessment of all the above into a set of system models depicting bit error rate (BER), system/link availability and performance.

f) Specifications for a flexible suite of flight and ground signal processing hardware that can accommodate a variety of error coding, modulation and fade mitigation techniques.

g) Specification of appropriate ground and flight antennas that can accommodate spot beam shaping (SBS) and deep attenuation fades.

h) An Experiment Plan with a well-defined core program and a set of costed options.  This will allow a more flexible approach if other services or allies want to provide funding after Phase 1.

i) A Risk Assessment and Management Plan that anticipates the use of High Altitude Platform (HAP) to shakedown all flight hardware (and most aspects of the Experiment Plan) before on-orbit experiments begin.

j) An integrated simulation environment that combines models for the physical channel, space-time channel, antennas, error coding, modulation, fade management techniques and hardware.  The intention is to continue enhancement of this integrated simulation environment through the follow-on phases.  This will facilitate the development and validation of communication link models.