What are the skills and tools that you need for satellite system design?

Absolutely, technical and theoretical information is indeed essential for designing satellite systems. Understanding the fundamentals provides the necessary foundation for designing effective solutions. However, when designing satellite communication systems for simulations, I've observed that experienced engineers and designers are great at making 'educated guesses'. The ability to draw informatipn from past experiences and create environments to solve problems is important skill where each engineer should train.

Begin your satellite communication journey with a fundamental grasp of mathematics, understanding signal propagation, frequency, and decibels. Explore the basics of electromagnetic wave propagation in practical scenarios. Move on to satellite functionality, testing your skills in radio frequency propagation and communication concepts. Progress to orbital mechanics, where math and physics take center stage. Complement your technical knowledge with an understanding of regulations through comprehensive reading and hands-on experience with software and scripting tools.

Understanding the basics of satellite communications, including RF principles and orbital mechanics, is crucial. My experience in satellite system design started with mastering these fundamentals. Knowledge of different frequency bands, their propagation characteristics, and how they affect link budget calculation is essential. Also, a strong grasp of the satellite's role within the larger telecommunication ecosystem is vital for effective system design.

In satellite system design, modeling and simulation tools like STK (Systems Tool Kit) and MATLAB are indispensable. My work often involves using these tools for trajectory analysis and signal propagation modeling. They help in predicting system performance under various scenarios, which is crucial for designing robust and efficient satellite systems.

Practical experience in testing and verification is critical. I've found that meticulous testing, which includes both ground-based simulations and in-orbit tests, is key to ensuring system reliability. Familiarity with testing equipment and procedures, like thermal vacuum testing and vibration testing, is necessary to verify system resilience in harsh space environments.

Effective satellite operation requires not only technical skills but also strong project management abilities. My role often entails monitoring satellite health, managing transponder allocation, and coordinating with ground stations. Proficiency in tools like mission control software, and understanding of network management principles, are essential for smooth operation and quick response to anomalies.

Given the increasing cyber threats, security expertise is essential. My focus in satellite system design includes implementing encryption, secure telemetry, and command protocols. Knowledge of potential vulnerabilities and experience with security frameworks like ISO/IEC 27001 are crucial for protecting these critical systems.

Innovation in satellite system design is driven by continuous learning and adaptation. My involvement in R&D projects has underscored the importance of staying updated with the latest technological advancements, such as new propulsion technologies or miniaturization trends, to continually improve system design and functionality.

Satellite system innovation and improvement can take many forms. Some are based on technological advancement. Each new generation of satellites is more powerful and usually provides more bandwidth than the previous generation. Once satellites are designed to have enough transmit and receive power you can think of innovative ideas such as direct to mobile phone communications without a custom satellite terminal. With more and more LEO constellations being planned more operators offer Hybrid satcom solutions. With improving processing power, near real-time updates of satellite frequency plans are possible. The last sentence of the AI generated text is incorrect: "Some examples of software tools ... are NOT TensorFlow and NASA."

I absolutely agree with these recommendations, clearly those contributing have great technical experience and expertise. One thing I would add would be the absolute understanding of your customer and user needs. What are the users data, voice and video requirements? What end user terminals will be used? What is their concept of operations? Where and when will the bandwidth be required and how much? Then you can start to use link budget analysis to start to determine your Electro Isotropic Radiated Power from your antennas onboard the spacecraft and amplification requirements for your associated transponders etc etc. Just some thoughts I had whilst walking my dog this morning. I guess my major takeaway is to start with your customer!

The most important thing to consider is the business case. I worked on using simulations, modelling the anticipated traffic profile of users to determine if a multi-billion investment makes sense. The summary is that most of the LEO mega-constellations will go bankrupt. OneWeb for example did go bankrupt and was bailed out. We still do not know if it will make any profit as the satellite constellation is ready for operations, but the ground segment was delayed. Many are talking of connecting the unconnected 3 billion people, but those people only have very little disposable income so a monthly fee of $40 means they will stay unconnected unless there is a subsidy or sponsor like a social media company that wants to enlarge its user base.