Space Vehicle Communication and Networking
L. Clare, Bradley J. Clement · Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering · 2010
Abstract Space missions range from Earth‐orbiting satellites to deep space and planetary surface missions. Issues such as time delay, blackout periods, bandwidth limitations, and power constraints make space‐based communication a unique challenge. This chapter overviews the challenges associated with spacecraft communication and solutions adopted and advanced for spaceflight. These challenges have motivated the development and deployment of strategically placed relay stations on the Earth and in space. Spacecraft communications structure and protocols will be overviewed, and associated engineering considerations with ground systems. Data compression and onboard processing will be introduced as methods with potential to better utilize available bandwidth.