How to Verify Satellite Links in the Lab: Orbit-Ready Testing

Delve into the world of new space technologies, where simulation and testing plays a pivotal role in driving innovation and ensuring success. Mistakes in space are costly and satellite communications can be complex, so being able to replicate challenging channel conditions in the lab is critical to success in space.

This session introduces participants to the value of Satellite Communications Toolbox and how it can be used with the RLS-2100 hardware-in-the-loop radio link simulator from Square Peg Communications to test real satcom equipment in the lab. See a recreation of a non-terrestrial network scenario with the unique channel characteristics of a satellite link.

To get an idea of the challenge for non-terrestrial networks, consider a terrestrial cell phone network. Although most take it for granted, there is significant complexity in managing a phone's connection with a nearby cell tower. Now put that tower in space, more than 500 kilometers straight up, and we go from microseconds of delay to tens of milliseconds of delay. Now imagine this tower whipping overhead at a speed of approximately 8 kilometers per second—this introduces rapidly changing path loss, path delay, and large Doppler frequency shifts. Traveling at that speed, that tower won't be overhead for long, so now we need a series of towers (satellites), and we need to hand over between them every 5–10 minutes. Under these conditions, how are we going to guarantee the user has a seamless connection? Clearly simulation and testing will play a key role.

With Satellite Communications Toolbox and RLS-2100, we can test a non-terrestrial link in the lab with minimal effort.