Solar Energy News  
SPACEWAR
Purchasing the Right Technology Ensures SATCOM Supremacy
by Staff Writers for Satcom Frontier
McLean VA (SPX) Apr 17, 2018

illustration only

Judging from the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018, Congress and the U.S. Department of Defense understand how critical space is to the nation's military. According to an article in Space News, the fiscal 2018 budget contains additional millions of dollars for space that the Pentagon did not even request.

Appropriators explained that they want to ensure that the Air Force is able to "recapitalize multiple constellations that will require replacements in the coming decade - space situational awareness, positioning, navigation and timing, weather, missile warning, wideband communications and protected communications."

Budget dollars are obviously essential, and we take it as a positive sign that the government wants to be sure to make funding available for SATCOM.

However, many in the commercial industry are puzzled that the appropriations bill called for ordering two more Wideband Global (WGS) satellites, based on technology that dates back to 2002.

Additionally, the two additional WGS satellites will primarily offer Ka-band frequency SATCOM. The installed base of SATCOM infrastructure used by the services, particularly for aero/ISR purposes, is designed for Ku-band.

Forcing a change to Ka-band would prevent the military from leveraging the Ku-band antenna/modem infrastructure already in place across the Department of Defense, including manpack, flyway, communications-on-the-move (COTM), airborne, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The ability to use current ground equipment with Ku-band leads to substantial cost savings for the government customer.

The choice to continue with older, traditional widebeam satellite technology is also a surprise. There are now next-generation high-throughput satellite (HTS) platforms in operation that greatly over-perform traditional widebeam platforms for small mobility antennas, while also providing increased flexibility and resiliency. For example, Intelsat EpicNG HTS will enable existing Gray Eagle and Reaper ISR platforms to deliver SATCOM data rates up to three times greater than those on traditional widebeam satellites.

And during a recent test over Intelsat 29e, the U.S. Marine Corps users achieved a total simultaneous throughput capacity of approximately 9 Mbps utilizing 9.7 MHz of allocated bandwidth. This represents approximately five times more throughput versus the less than 2 Mbps in the same amount of bandwidth on traditional wide-beam satellites via very small aperture terminals.

Such dramatic improvements have already revolutionized commercial in-flight SATCOM. Airlines are under pressure to provide their passengers with connected experiences that meet or even exceed terrestrial expectations. A recent article detailed how a trade journalist was able to simultaneously stream both YouTube and Netflix on a Delta 757 flight, thanks to Ku-band HTS service.

The introduction of new HTS technology has created an inflection point in space. The commercial space industry is dedicated to working with its government customers through this period of change, ensuring that the right processes and procurement models are implemented to take full advantage of commercial innovation in space.

Having the money in the budget is definitely a needed step. But the DoD needs to be sure that funding is dedicated to the right technology to move national security forward in space.


Related Links
Intelsat General
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


SPACEWAR
US Air Force Increases Focus on Space
McLean VA (SPX) Apr 13, 2018
he U.S. Air Force has its focus set on space these days, as evidenced by its recently released Fiscal Year 2019 budget and an ongoing review of the military's space operations. Both look promising. "The Air Force's FY-19 budget accelerates our efforts to deter, defend and prevail against anyone who seeks to deny our ability to freely operate in space," Gen. John "Ray" Raymond, commander of Air Force Space Command, was quoted in an article in Space News. Sandra Erwin, the writer of the articl ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SPACEWAR
Algae-forestry, bioenergy mix could help make CO2 vanish from thin air

Removing the brakes on plant oil production

NUS engineers pioneer greener and cheaper technique for biofuel production

Notre Dame researchers developing renewable energy approach for producing ammonia

SPACEWAR
Want computers to see better in the real world? Train them in a virtual reality

Visual recognition: Seeing the world through the eyes of rodents

Russia's Robot FEDOR to Be the First to Fly to Space on Board New Spacecraft

How accurate is your AI

SPACEWAR
Alberta proposes more renewable energy incentives

Transformer station for giant German wind farm positioned

Scotland's largest offshore wind farm close to operational

Construction complete ahead of schedule at Sommette wind farm, France

SPACEWAR
With bikes, transit, Uber unveils urban transport vision

EU unveils new consumer protections after 'dieselgate' scandal

US investigating fatal Tesla crash in California

Tesla says 'Autopilot' was engaged during fatal crash

SPACEWAR
Tungsten 'too brittle' for nuclear fusion reactors

New sodium-ion electrolyte may find use in solid-state batteries

New technology could wean the battery world off cobalt

The raw power of human motion

SPACEWAR
Namibia president denies graft in nuclear deal

NRC approval brings Framatome's fuel technology closer to market

Framatome displays year of powerful performance, supports 44 nuclear power outages in 2017

Nuclear safety: AREVA develops an innovative technology for reactor inspection

SPACEWAR
Carbon taxes can be both fair and effective, study shows

Trump rolls back Obama-era fuel efficiency rules

Lights out for world landmarks in nod to nature

Puerto Rico power grid snaps, nearly 1 million in the dark

SPACEWAR
Palm trees are spreading northward - how far will they go?

Soil fungi may help determine the resilience of forests to environmental change

Drought-induced changes in forest composition amplify effects of climate change

Amazon deforestation is close to tipping point









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.