Satellite earth station

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A satellite earth station is a communications facility with a microwave radio transmitting and receiving antenna and required receiving and transmitting equipment for communicating with satellites (also known as space stations).

In the satellite communications industry there are de facto standards set by Intelsat for satellite earth stations of differing capabilities. They are know as 'Intelsat Earth Station Standards' or 'IESS'. A major defining property is not the size of the 'dish', but the overall antenna gain achieved by the system. In general, however, larger dishes give higher gains. The different types of satellite earth station are designated simply by the word 'Standard' followed by a letter:

Standard A - nominal G/T: 35.0 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter usually >26 metres (older), approx 15 metres (newer)

Standard B - nominal G/T: 31.7 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter typically 11-13 metres

Standard C - nominal G/T: 37.0 dB/K, 11 & 14 and/or 12 & 14 GHz bands K_u band
Standard E-1 - nominal G/T: 25.0 dB/K, 11 & 14 and/or 12 & 14 GHz bands K_u band

Dish diameter 3.05±0.65 metres (K_u-band)

Standard E-2 - nominal G/T: 29.0 dB/K, 11 & 14 and/or 12 & 14 GHz bands K_u band

Dish diameter 5.0±1.3 metres (K_u-band)

Standard E-3 - nominal G/T: 34.0 dB/K, 11 & 14 and/or 12 & 14 GHz bands K_u band
Standard F-1 - nominal G/T: 22.7 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter 4.3±0.6 metres (C-band)

Standard F-2 - nominal G/T: 27.0 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter 6.3 metres (C-band)

Standard F-3 - nominal G/T: 29.0 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter 7.3 metres (C-band)

Standard G - no defined G/T

Dish diameter 4.1±3.2 metres (C-band), 3.6±2.7 metres (K_u-band)

Standard H-2 - nominal G/T: 15.1 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter 2.12±0.32 metres (C-band)

Standard H-3 - nominal G/T: 18.3 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band

Dish diameter 2.42±0.02 metres (C-band)

Standard H-4 - nominal G/T: 22.1 dB/K, 4 & 6 GHz bands C band
Standard K-2 - nominal G/T: 19.8 dB/K, 11 & 14 and/or 12 & 14 GHz bands K_u band

Dish diameter 1.5±0.3 metres (K_u-band)

Standard K-3 - nominal G/T: 23.3 dB/K, 11 & 14 and/or 12 & 14 GHz bands K_u band

Dish diameter 2.1±0.3 metres (K_u-band)

Standard M

Note that satellite earth stations need not be fixed in position. Some terminals may be ship-borne, or vehicle-borne, and others are man-portable, although used only when stationary.

Note also that the uplink (earth station to satellite) frequency is usually the higher frequency listed. See Ku- and C BAND SATELLITES UPLINK, DOWNLINK and TRANSLATION FREQUENCIES. Miteq, New York. Retrieved on 2006-09-11..