Study of a Medium Term Flexible Fixed Satellite Service Mission

摘要

A European telecommunication satellite mission for the period 1995-2000 is defined. The implementation of this mission on a three satellite system (two operational and an in-orbit spare) is discussed. A flexible payload architecture allowing to adapt to traffic or service variations is proposed. It is shown that different traffic prediction studies, although performed simultaneously, can provide widely dispersed results, since communication in Europe is entering a mutation phase with the emergence of new technologies and services and the growth of existing services. Flexibility implies large spacecraft (close to the maximum capabilities of an L-SAT type platform), although their power requirements remain relatively modest, and they require a dedicated Ariane 44 launcher.