Cubesat Radio Communication Systems

T paper is intended to serve as a general discussion of cubesat radio communication systems. The Illinois Observing Nanosatellite (ION) will be used as a case study alongside the more general discussion. This paper does not present any ground-breaking research or advancements in satellite communication technology. In fact, it does quite the opposite. This paper is an introduction to basic satellite radio communications for student satellite projects where experience might be lacking. It also shows that cubesat communication can be achieved successfully with the use of relatively simple equipment. Cubesat satellites are often used as test beds for new technology or as inexpensive platforms for science payloads. As such, the communication system hardware simply supports the mission objectives of other hardware. This is not to say that cubesats cannot also be used to test new communication system technology. However a reliable primary communication system is critical to the success of the entire satellite mission. This puts the communication system in a diffi cult position of both being highly reliable but also meeting the low-cost and fast-development goal of most cubesat programs. Commercial and military grade satellite equipment is usually too massive and expensive to even be considered for a cubesat system. Commercial-off-the-shelf equipment is generally preferred, but its performance onboard a satellite is unknown or ambiguous. In the following paper the link budget and associated tests are discussed to show that this equipment is indeed viable for a low-Earth-orbit cubesat. Also discussed are various options in the confi guration of the communication system with the intention of choosing the simplest and most reliable system.