Satellite communications is a comprehensive field that facilitates global communication through satellites orbiting Earth.

Here’s a detailed directory and overview of sectors and sub-sectors within satellite communications:

1. Satellite Types:

  • Geostationary Orbit (GEO): Satellites that orbit at approximately 36,000 km above Earth and appear stationary relative to a point on the ground.
  • Low Earth Orbit (LEO): Satellites that orbit between 160 km to 2,000 km above Earth’s surface.
  • Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): Typically situated at around 10,000 km above Earth, often used for navigation systems like GPS.
  • Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO): Satellites that have an elliptical path, particularly useful for regions near the poles.

2. Communication Services:

  • Fixed Satellite Services (FSS): Communication between earth stations having fixed locations.
  • Mobile Satellite Services (MSS): Communication for mobile earth stations, such as satellite phones or in-flight internet.
  • Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS): Direct-to-home TV broadcasts and satellite radio.

3. Applications:

  • Telecommunication: Connecting remote areas, long-distance communication, etc.
  • TV & Radio Broadcasting: Direct-to-home services like Dish, DirecTV.
  • Internet & Broadband: Services like Starlink (SpaceX) aiming to provide global internet coverage.
  • Navigation & GPS: Systems like GPS (US), Galileo (EU), GLONASS (Russia), and BeiDou (China).
  • Earth Observation: Satellites that monitor and collect information about the Earth, often used for climate monitoring, agriculture, and defense.
  • Space Exploration: Communication with space probes and rovers on other planets.

4. Ground Infrastructure:

  • Ground Stations: Facilities on Earth that communicate with satellites.
  • Uplink/Downlink Facilities: Used to send (uplink) and receive (downlink) signals to and from satellites.
  • Network Operation Centers (NOC): Centralized locations to monitor and control satellite networks.

5. Equipment & Devices:

  • Satellite Phones: Devices that communicate directly with satellites, like those from Iridium or Inmarsat.
  • VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal): Small, fixed satellite antennas used for communication.
  • Satellite Radios: Receivers specifically for satellite radio services like SiriusXM.
  • Satellite Modems: Convert data into a format suitable for satellite transmission.

6. Launch & Manufacturing:

  • Satellite Manufacturers: Companies that design and produce satellites, e.g., Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Boeing.
  • Launch Service Providers: Entities that offer satellite launch services, e.g., SpaceX, Arianespace, Roscosmos.

7. Satellite Internet Providers:

  • Starlink (SpaceX): An initiative to create a global broadband service using thousands of LEO satellites.
  • OneWeb: Another prominent player aiming for a global broadband network using LEO satellites.
  • ViaSat: Provides satellite broadband services mainly through GEO satellites.
  • HughesNet: A major provider of satellite internet services using GEO satellites.

This directory encapsulates the primary sectors and elements of satellite communications. Given the rapid advancements in this field, especially with the rising interest in LEO satellite broadband, the landscape of satellite communications is continuously evolving.