Simulation of interference between Earth stations and Earth-orbiting satellites

Abstract

It is often desirable to determine the potential for radio frequency interference between Earth stations and orbiting spacecraft. This information can be used to select frequencies for radio systems to avoid interference or it can be used to determine if coordination between radio systems is necessary. A model is developed that will determine the statistics of interference between Earth stations and elliptical orbiting spacecraft. The model uses orbital dynamics, detailed antenna patterns, and spectral characteristics to obtain accurate levels of interference at the victim receiver. The model is programmed into a computer simulation to obtain long term statistics of interference. Two specific examples are shown to demonstrate the model. The first example is a simulation of interference from a fixed-satellite Earth station to an orbiting scatterometer receiver. The second example is a simulation of interference from Earth exploration-satellites to a deep space Earth station.<>