Study of rain induced attenuation and crosspolarization and signal loss at the indian regional navigation satellite channel

Abstract

newline This thesis aims to investigate the different factors that degrade the newlinesignal strength in satellite communication. I have studied the signal loss at the newlineTropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) newlinechannel, and at the L5, and S bands of the satellites in the Indian Regional newlineNavigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation. The TRMM coverage is newline50N-50S and 180E-180W. The IRNSS coverage area is 1500 km around newlineIndia. newlineThe use of high frequencies is inevitable in satellite communication newlineas it can penetrate the ionosphere. Besides, a high frequency increases the rate newlineof data transfer. The use of high frequency also supports smaller antenna newlinesizes. However, high frequencies are affected by the atmospheric components newlineviz. rain, snow, fog, atmospheric gases, etc. Of all these components, rainfall newlineis the most hazardous. Rainfall affects radio wave propagation because of newlineabsorption and scattering - a phenomenon called rain-induced attenuation. For newlinefrequencies above 10 GHz, the attenuation due to rain is severe. Thus, the newlinestudy of rain-induced attenuation is crucial for satellite communication. newlineKnowledge of rain-induced attenuation is necessary for estimating rainfall newlinealso. All over the globe, researchers use a power law to estimate attenuation newlinefrom rainfall. However, the relations appear to change depending newlineon geographical locations, elevation angle, rainfall intensity, etc. The study newlineaims to find a location-based rain-induced attenuation model and the newlineparameters that govern it