Considerations on ground station antennas used for communication with LEO satellites

Abstract

As the number of satellites orbiting around the Earth is significantly increasing, it is important to extend the ground station network, in order to be able to receive as much of the satellite transmitted data. In this context, this paper addresses the aspects related to the implementation of a ground station for LEO satellites, located in Suceava city, focusing on the analysis of the reference antenna's parameters using probe signals from satellites that are not stabilized in attitude. The ground station currently uses a 145 and a 436 MHz omnidirectional antenna, with two more antennas and a remote control station under development.