TABLE OF CONTENTS A unique class of Earth station is employed for each type of communication service being rendered. In addition, the size and the complexity of a station depend on the quantity of traffic and, if appropriate, the variety of services offered. This section briefly describes some of the more common station configurations in use for broadband communications. To start off, the TT&C Earth station and its associated satellite control center are presented to give the reader a feel for the scope of the ground facility used to operate the space segment. The rest of the section covers stations ranging in size from the largest class (used for television uplinking, bulk data transmission, and MSS gateway service) to the smallest (VSATs, TVROs, and tabletop and handheld MSS UTs).
The TT&C ground facilities of a satellite operator cover a variety of functions and capabilities, as depicted in Figure 9.19. In some systems, all the functions are centralized at one location to minimize capital and operating expenses. That approach occupies the least land and building space and can economize on equipment. Additional savings accrue from minimizing expenses for running the buildings and by being efficient in the use of personnel. For example, a single maintenance team can service all the electronic equipment. A second approach splits the facility between a TT&C Earth station and an SCC, as indicated by the vertical broken line in Figure 9.19. Using a tail link such as microwave or...
