THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN INFLUENCING FUTURE CIVIL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES

Many factors, past and present, continue to influence the direction and rate of progress in civil communications satellite advancement. This paper addresses one of these factors, technology, both as an enabler and as a driver of new and improved communications satellites. A brief look at the beginnings and evolution of satellite communications clearly reveals the continuing influence of technology over the past 25 years. This is followed by an assessment of the current state of the art, which will serve as a benchmark representing how far we have come and as a basis for comparison for future possibilities. Here, a short tutorial on communications satellite basics is presented, followed by an assessment of technologies used for satellite antennas and signal amplification and routing. A discussion of future service requirements follows, and new and emerging technologies are identified along with possible new and improved communications capabilities that can result from them. The conclusion summarizes our outlook of the role of technology for future communication satellites. © 1990 IEEE