With the improved sensor capabilities of Earth observation satellites and the introduction of constellation service in low Earth orbit (LEO), the volume of data transmitted from a satellite to a ground station is increasing. Multipleinput and multiple-output (MIMO) is hopeful for increasing the channel capacity in the power-limited and the band-limited channel. The authors have investigated the MIMO channels in LEO satellites, specifically proposing a channel model and assuming line-of-sight (LOS) environments. In the previous study, the authors analyzed channel capacity by using a channel model that randomly defines the satellite position. However, channel capacity that considers the parameters of the antenna position due to the satellite attitude must be analyzed. The authors evaluated the channel capacity on the LEOMIMO channel model by using the transmitting antenna distance and satellite altitude as parameters. As a result, the authors found that the channel capacity of an LEO-MIMO satellite varies at different time interval, and this time interval depends on the antenna distance and the altitude.

Chapter Contents:

• 64.1 Introduction
• 64.2 Proposal of LEO-MIMO channel
• 64.2.1 Channel model
• 64.2.2 Coordinate transformation
• 64.3 Parametric analysis of LEO-MIMO channel capacity
• 64.3.1 Parameters of analysis
• 64.3.2 Results and discussion
• 64.4 LEO-MIMO channel capacity analysis using actual satellite orbital and attitude data
• 64.4.1 Parameters of analysis
• 64.4.2 Results and discussion
• 64.5 Conclusion
• References

Inspec keywords: channel capacity; transmitting antennas; satellite ground stations; MIMO communication; satellite antennas

Other keywords: LEO MIMO channel model; satellite attitude analysis; Earth observation satellites; satellite MIMO system; transmitting antenna; ground station; multiple input and multiple-output channel; LEO satellites; LEO-MIMO satellite varies; line-of-sight environments; band-limited channel; MIMO channel capacity analysis; LOS environments; low Earth orbit

Subjects: Single antennas; Satellite communication systems