Link Budget Analysis for a 3U Nanosatellite Operating At S-band

Abstract

In recent years, nanosatellites have gained more attention in the space field, making them extremely useful platforms for technology demonstration, scientific research and academic projects. One of the most crucial components is the communication subsystem. In this paper, the S-band data link budget between a LEO nanosatellite and a ground station in Rabat is analysed. Considering the variation of the elevation angle, this new approach aims to design a reliable communication subsystem with the associated attenuation that affects the ground-to-satellite communication link. Therefore, the AGI Software Tool Kit (STK) and the AMSAT-IARU Link spreadsheet are used to design orbit, calculate link budget and analyze the impact of elevation angle and channel coding scheme on link margin.