1.1 Introduction
Today’s communications satellites offer extensive capabilities in applications involving data, voice, and video, with services provided to fixed, broadcast, mobile, personal communications, and private networks users. A communication satellite is an orbiting artificial earth satellite that receives a communications signal from a transmitting ground station, amplifies and possibly processes it, then transmits it back to the earth for reception by one or more receiving ground stations. Communications information neither originates nor terminates at the satellite itself. The satellite is an active transmission relay, similar in function to relay towers used in terrestrial microwave communications (Plgpl, 2021).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Since their inception, Satellite Communications (SatComs) have found a plethora of applications, including media broadcasting, backhauling, news gathering etc. Nowadays, following the evolution of Internet-based applications, SatComs are going through a transformation phase refocusing the system design on data services, namely broadband SatComs. Furthermore, a major milestone of the 5th generation of communication systems (5G) is the integration and convergence of diverse wired and wireless technologies. In this context, SatComs pave the way for seamless integration targeting specific use cases which can take advantage of their unique capabilities. In parallel, private ventures have led the development of a multitude of manufacturing and launching options, previously only reserved for governments and a handful of large international corporations (Plgpl, 2021).
Satellites face competition from other media such as fibre optics, cable, and other land-based delivery systems such as microwaves and even power lines. The main advantage of satellites is that they can distribute signals from one point to many locations. As such, satellite technology is ideal for “point-to-multipoint” communications such as broadcasting. Satellite communication does not require massive investments on the ground-making it ideal for underserved and isolated areas with dispersed populations.
Satellite communications technology is often used during natural disasters and emergencies when land-based communication services are down. Mobile satellite equipment can be deployed to disaster areas to provide emergency communication services. One major technical disadvantage of satellites, particularly those in geostationary orbit, is an inherent delay in transmission. While there are ways to compensate for this delay, it makes some applications that require real-time transmission and feedback, such as voice communications, not ideal for satellites.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Basic Concepts of Communication Satellites.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation reveals the challenge for the application of precoding in practical satellite systems is related to non-linearities. In fact, the on-board per-antenna traveling-wave-tube amplifiers (TWTAs) usually introduce non-linear effects, which result in a distortion on the transmitted waveforms. A typical solution to this problem in single-user links relies on predistortion techniques, but their extension to multi-beam systems relying on precoding is not straightforward, because of the mutual correlation between the data streams induced by the precoding schemes.
Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) platforms operate closer to the Earth than LEO satellites. This allows them to be simpler, smaller, and thus, cheaper (Llop et al., 2014). However, such low altitudes contain a denser part of the atmosphere, and therefore, larger aerodynamic forces. This can be seen as ame, but they can also represent an opportunity for orbit and attitude control (Virgili-Llop et al., 2019). Moreover, the increased drag represents a shortening of the orbital lifetime, but this also means a more frequent fleet replacement of smaller and cheaper spacecrafts, thus, becoming more responsive to technology and market changes (Dakka, 2018). Several private companies such as SpaceX, OneWeb or Telesat are planning to launch their Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) at VLEO.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to scrutinize the Basic Concepts of Communication Satellites. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To find out the factors mitigating the enhancement of Communication Satellites
- To examine the relevance of Communication Satellites in the development of Nigeria economy
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What are the factors mitigating the enhancement of Communication Satellites?
- What are the relevance of Communication Satellites in the development of Nigeria economy?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
- H0: There is no significant factors mitigating the enhancement of Communication Satellites
- H1: There is a significant factors mitigating the enhancement of Communication Satellites
1.7 Significance of Study
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of this research focuses on the study of the Basic Concepts of Communication Satellites in Nigeria.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
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