COMETS experiments for Ka-band and millimeter-wave advanced mobile satellite communications

Abstract

We present the Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite (COMETS) payload configuration and experimental systems for the Ka-band and millimeter-wave mobile satellite communications as well as the developed ground terminals. The COMETS carries multibeam antennas, an SCPC/TDM regenerative transponder, and LF filter matrices for direct mobile-to-mobile communications and interconnection between multibeams. For mobile terminals, several antennas such as an active phased array antenna, a torus-reflector antenna, and a waveguide slot array antenna were developed. For personal satellite communications, a Ka-band portable terminal, which can achieve direct user-to-user communications using the on-board regenerative transponder, was developed.