The Israeli satellite service provider 'Hell Communication' will launch its fourth satellite into space by the end of the decade.
The Israeli satellite service provider 'Hell Communication' will launch its fourth satellite into space by the end of the decade. David Polak, CEO of the company, talks about the advanced technologies in the field of satellite communications, which will be implemented in the company's future satellites
Dorit Ropa-Aldovi
The State of Israel, a member of the prestigious club of countries that have capabilities in the field of space, demonstrates impressive achievements in the field of satellite communications. Until the year 2009, about three satellites will be operated in space at the same time by the company 'Spacecom' (SPACECOM) - the Israeli provider of satellite services, manufactured here in Israel by the aerospace industry.
Since 1998, Israel has successfully launched about nine photography and communication satellites into space. In 2007, the third communications satellite will be launched to replace 'Amos 1', which will end its life after more than a decade. At the same time, Amos-2 will operate until 2016, and in about four years they will be joined, in another location in space, by Amos-4.
David Polak, CEO of Halal-Communications, describes the development of satellite communications: "Satellite communications began in the era of analog broadcasting in the 70s and in the mid-90s switched to digital communications. The introduction of satellites into digital broadcasting technology is reflected in all types of communication that exist in terrestrial and WIRELESS communication, such as: television broadcasts, telephony, internet and data. Digitization made it possible to do compression activities with a smaller width and transmits more information.''
There are also additional Israeli representatives floating in the satellite belt around the earth - used for other purposes. The most senior among them is "Amos", a satellite developed in the aerospace industry and launched into space in May 1996 using a French ARIANE type launcher. "Amos" is used, among other things, for telephone communication and reception of television broadcasts, and is actually the satellite through which YES Company transmits the broadcasts to its customers.
Blue and white communication satellites
The communications satellite is a significant landmark in the Israeli communications industry. Meir Amit, who previously served as Minister of Communications, came up with the idea in the early 80s together with Hezi Carmel, an Israeli satellite expert.
Pollak: ''The goal was to provide Israeli satellite services to all countries in the Middle East and Africa. Space-Communication was founded in the early 90s in order to provide service to customers and market the communication options that the satellite provides. After not much time, the company was able to finance and design the future satellites by itself.''
Amos-1 - the first Israeli satellite, the fruit of the development and creation of the Israel Aerospace Industries, is based on its capabilities and experience in the field of space technology acquired in the production of the 'Ofek' photography satellites. The satellite responded to a wide variety of customers in Israel and abroad and was chosen, among other things, to serve as a platform for providing television service directly to homes (DTH/DBS) by YES and others in Israel, by HBO and other companies in Europe.
Israel is too small a country to operate a satellite only for its needs. That's why a communications space broke into the competitive international market. Folk:
"The scope of the use of satellite communication in Israel is extensive relative to the size of the country, but without the activity of space-communication there can be no infrastructure for communication satellites in the State of Israel, because it is a small country that does not have enough volume of activity to have a communication satellite for its own use only. Therefore, we need a body that will operate on an international level and create a customer base in the world that will justify the activity of the satellite and provide an economic basis that enables the infrastructure required for satellite communication. Israel alone does not justify a satellite and therefore, it is impossible to establish a satellite only for YES and for the other uses in the country, such as Gilat, the Broadcasting Authority, the government offices, etc.
Despite the international market being flooded with satellite service providers, the company stood up to the competition and soon managed to fill the entire capacity of Amos-1. In view of the additional demands of customers in Israel and abroad, the company decided to expand its activities and for this purpose initiated Amos-2, which is now fully owned by it. According to the company's last quarterly report, the project, whose cost was estimated at about 150 million dollars, infused it with about NIS 37 million. In the Space-Communication Company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (15%), the partnership is divided equally between the owners - the Israel Aerospace Industries, Eurocom Holdings Ltd., the H Group. Mr. Ltd., and GSSC Ltd.
Amos-2 serves customers in three service areas: Israel and the Middle East, Europe and the East Coast of the USA. The broadcasting and communication services that the satellite will provide include: distribution of television and radio broadcasts directly to viewers' homes (such as the services offered by YES, distribution of television and radio broadcasts to cable centers, distribution of Internet services, and data transmission to communication networks.
As a company that provides service in the Middle East region, Space Communication also competes with satellites of Arab countries. According to Polak, there were attempts to cooperate with them in the past and an attempt was even made to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority, but it was thwarted by Arafat. The attempts against them have not been successful to date since they prefer to work with the Arab satellites, but there is a chance that the situation will change in the future.
Geosynchronous satellite communication system
Communication satellites are placed and operate in the geosynchronous orbit - GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT (GEO). This orbit is a circular orbit around the earth at the equator, and is about 36,000 km from the earth's surface.
The main feature of the GEO is that every point on it completes the rotation around the earth every 24 hours, like a point on the earth's surface, so the point on the orbit appears to be "standing" towards a point on the earth's surface. This feature makes it possible to transfer communication services to defined areas on the surface of the country to antennas aimed at a point in space.
In light of the fact that there is only one geosynchronous orbit around the Earth, it is managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which creates a framework for carrying out satellite frequency coordination processes between different satellite networks in order to prevent mutual interference.
Each GEO satellite communication system consists of three main segments:
Space segment: the satellite (or satellites) moving in GEO and operating the communication mast for the provision of communication services.
Ground segment: A ground control center that operates the satellite, or satellites, during their lifetime in orbit.
The user segments: the networks of the satellite communication service providers who operate the communication networks for the use of their customers.
The satellite network, defined by the GEO operated satellite and the ground user segment, is the one that enables the provision of communication services. The network includes three main elements:
The "UP-LINK STATION" station for the satellite, such as: a broadcast station of a TV channel that transmits the signals to the satellite. These stations are located in the service areas (SERVICE AREAS) created by the satellite.
The satellite itself, located in GEO, and receiving the incoming signals through its communication mast, consists of a receiving antenna, the transponder system, and a transmitting antenna. The received signals are amplified by the transponder, change the frequency, are amplified, and are transmitted back to earth via the satellite's transmission antenna, to the defined service areas.
The receiving station or the "DOWN-LINK STATION", located in the service areas of the satellite, receives the signals transmitted from the satellite, decodes them and displays them on the user's home TV screen. For example, a receiving station is the YES antenna + the converter of YES.
A GEO satellite communication system makes it possible to provide communication services from one point to a large number of points included within the satellite's service areas (POINT TO MULTI-POINTS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM), without any limitation of the prevailing geographical conditions in the area.
The GEO satellite receives the channel packages transmitted to it from the transmission station (UPLINK STATION). The broadcasts are broadcast from the satellite and received in the consumers' homes using small home receiving antennas (diameter of 60 cm to 1 meter). The signals are received in the converter (IRD) which also includes a "smart card" that allows the subscriber to be identified, the compressed signals to be decoded and displayed on the television set, or on the home computer, and if the signals are audio signals - to be broadcast through home audio systems. The smart card makes it possible to make the monthly charges of the subscriber, to allow him to order additional channels, paid movies, etc.
Most data communication is carried out using VSAT (VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS) networks. These networks make it possible to connect branches of the same organization or company that need to transfer information in a regular and reliable manner (for example: government offices, bank branches, supermarkets of a certain chain, pharmacies, etc.). The system consists of a central station (HUB STATION) that connects the satellite and the end stations of the system. Using the network you can connect any two end stations directly or through the HUB.
Using VSAT networks, it is possible to link remote areas (REMOTE AREAS), which are not connected to the terrestrial communication lines, to main telephone exchanges via satellite. It is also possible to deploy SCADA (SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION) networks for monitoring and receiving various data, as well as Internet connectivity.
A geostationary communication satellite, through which the various communication networks are activated, consists of a satellite platform (BUS) and a communication payload (COMMUNICATION PAYLOAD).
The communication hub is the "payload" of the satellite, and through it the satellite communication services are provided. It consists of receiving and transmitting antennas and the transponder system. In most cases, the MET also includes the transmission and reception components of the satellite's command and telemetry system.
The purpose of the satellite platform is to "hold" the communications mast in orbit, provide it with the required electrical power, maintain the direction of the antennas to the defined service areas, and protect the system against the environmental conditions during the launch and in orbit.
delivers to the customer
Space Communications, which marketed the satellite for the aerospace industry, soon became its owner. Polak explains the relationship between the two companies that changed roles: "In the busy days of Amos 1, we provided services to the aerospace industry, whereas today, we are an independent company. Although we have cooperated with them until today and ordered Amos-2 from them, but this will not necessarily happen with the following satellites as well. In principle, the next satellite will be ordered from the most suitable location. Under the economic constraint, we are very interested in cooperating in the next project with an Israeli company operating here together with Israeli shareholders. There are several satellite manufacturers in the world, such as: Boeing (formerly HUGHES), Lockheed Martin and Alcatel, and the aerospace industry that competes with them. In practice, only in the Amos-2 and 3 satellites does the competition manifest itself and Israel Aerospace Industries is definitely in the competition. Basically, the relationship with her is a supplier-client relationship. Our team of engineers characterizes our requirements, such as: film width, beams, longevity and throughout the life of the project works closely with the operational team in the aerospace industry. Amitsur Rosenfeld - who was in charge of the 'Amos 1' project in the aerospace industry, currently serves as the chief engineer in space-communications. There is constant interaction with them and part of the team is there regularly during production.''
The engineering characterization process
The process of characterizing the satellite features and the engineering characterization - a complex activity that is not absolute and relies on cumulative experience and the attempt to predict future needs. Satellite design and production takes about 3 years and it will be used for over a decade after that, so very long-term planning is necessary.
The Amos-2 communication satellite is based on the Amos-1 platform plus improvements and innovative technological developments. The changes that were introduced were intended to meet the mission's requirements, mainly in the performance of the MTED, the number of responders, the service areas and the responder provider. Amos-1 and 2 are located next to each other in order to create a common location (CO LOCATION). This common location allows the satellite users to increase its usage capabilities, without the need for an additional antenna.
For example, the YES company that uses the services of Amos-1. If it wanted to expand, it would need an additional satellite and for that also an additional antenna for Amos-2. Sharing the space than for the satellite to grow, it receives more without the need for an additional antenna, an environmental problem and a very complex story that affects maintenance, etc. That's why for a company like YES, the joint location is fundamental.''
In the field of conservative satellite communication, there is no rush to change the existing and they operate according to the method according to which what works, they do not change. Contrary to this, the communication space and the aerospace industry work for innovation and advanced technologies. Pollak: ''Amos-4 will open a new point in the East, and will allow broadcasting from Japan to Israel. Since Amos-3 allows broadcasting from the USA to Israel, so the range is doubled and the width of the film is increased to a new point. Amos-4 will allow us to provide communication on both continents.''
In these very days, the engineering planning phase of Amos-3 was completed and now we are moving to the execution phase. The satellite that will be launched in 2007 cost the communications space about 170 million dollars, mainly due to the transmission technologies that will be included in it. Polk elaborates: ''Since the satellite can serve different areas in the field of view, the coverage areas - its coverage beams - are selected. In addition to the broadcast beams to the Middle East, Europe and the East Coast of the United States, the broadcast range will expand to Africa and Asia.
Amos-1 was designed with two cover beams: from Israel and Europe. Whereas Amos-2 was designed for larger service areas in Europe and the Middle East. The satellite is larger, so the high energy intensity allowed to achieve better coverage. In addition, the coverage beam for the USA makes more use of the point where the satellite is in space, close to England to the eastern USA to eastern Iran. Also, two mobile beams will be added - antennas connected to a motor on the satellite that allows them to be moved, and this is a fundamental technological change. Another technology included in the third satellite is a certain bet for us and I call it: 'planning with a guess'. Amos-3 will operate on two different frequencies. One is KU, which transmits Amos-1 and 2, and an additional frequency, the KA, with a frequency of 18G that will enable broadband transmission. This technology is not common today. We estimate, or rather bet, that it will break out in the future and will be used a lot. For example, in applications that require high qualities of image sharpness such as in HDTV. We need to see how far the technology will penetrate the market and whether it will be used appropriately and what the extent of the need for it will be.
In Amos-3, minor changes are planned in relation to the second satellite, Pollak: "Basically, the third satellite will be very similar in size to the second satellite." We are currently dealing with the planning difficulties. For example, the weight of the satellite is very significant, since each kilo costs about 35 dollars to launch. Therefore, you should strive for maximum minimization. The flexibility of the antenna is necessary, and for that, we use a shaped antenna - not round, but one that is designed according to service areas (SHAPED ANTENNA). This is a special antenna that does not change in space, and has a very light weight, made by companies such as the American COI. The importance of the antenna is necessary in order to make good use of the return, so that the beam sent will return in good quality, and in addition it must allow for high efficiency. Designing the beam of the antenna is a complex process, and requires the planners to avoid a situation of wasting energy of the antenna on uninhabited areas, especially sea areas. This is a unique antenna that does not exist in many companies in the world.''
The launch process
The satellite is launched from a designated launch site of the selected launcher. The launchers currently available on the market are of the expendable launcher type (EXTENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE), based on the intercontinental ballistic missile technologies that were developed in the 1960s, and converted to launch satellites.
Because enormous energy is required to inject the satellite directly into the geosynchronous orbit, and there are not many launchers capable of imparting this energy to the satellite. The generic launch process of GEO satellites is usually carried out in stages:
The first, using the launcher, is the launch of the satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit (GEOSTATIONARY TRANSFER ORBIT - GTO).
The second, by the satellite itself, beyond the geostationary orbit (GEO) and placing it in the approved "station".
The GTO is an elliptical orbit, with an apogee (the apex of the ellipse far from the Earth) of GEO (that is, 36,000 km), and a perigee (the apex of the ellipse closest to the Earth) of 300-4,000 km, and an inclination ( = the angle between the GTO plane to the Earth's equatorial plane), of 7-25°. These parameters depend on the location of the launch site (the latitude of its location).
There are satellite manufacturers who prefer to launch from launch sites closer to the equator (such as KOUROU, the launch site of the ARIANE launchers, located at 7°N latitude, or the KSC launch site of the American launchers in Florida, located at 28.5°N latitude), rather than the Russian and Chinese launchers that are launched from much more northern launch sites. The goal is to purchase commercial launch contracts for GEO satellites on Russian launchers from the BAIKONUR launch site, performing such launching maneuvers that allow the satellite to be injected into such a GTO, that its fuel consumption up to GEO will be equal to that which would have been consumed in the launch from the ARIANE launcher to GTO at the inclination of the launch site in KOUROU, that is, the satellite will require the same speed increase and will not lose from being launched from a northern point.
The Amos-2 satellite was launched on the Russian SOYUZ-FREGAT launcher, with the launch services provided by the French-Russian company STARSEM. The launch was carried out from the BAIKONUR launch site in Kazakhstan, which is the main launch site of Russia (former USSR). The launch site at BAIKONUR is Russia's largest launch site and includes nine separate launch sites and over 50 launch pads.
SOYUZ is the most reliable launcher having launched over 1,680 launches since 1957, more than any other satellite launcher. The launcher has carried out all the manned launches of the Russian cosmonauts, since Yuri Gagarin until today. The launches include manned space missions in low earth orbits, as well as the transport of the cosmonauts to the space stations, first to the MIR station, and now to the International Space Station (ISS). During this period, due to the grounding of the American space shuttle after the "Columbia" disaster, the SOYUZ pilot also launched the American astronauts to the International Space Station.
As mentioned, the SOYUZ launcher is a launcher built from three stages. With the establishment of the launch services company STARSEM, the fourth stage, the FREGAT, was opened, allowing the company to offer launch services to different orbits and to launch larger satellites.
The configuration of the launcher that launched the Amos-2 satellite is: the three stages of SOYUZ, the fourth (upper) stage - the FREGAT, the SATELLITE ADAPTER, and the FAIRING.
Space Communications plans to break into new markets in additional European countries and strengthen its presence in the international market. Recently, launched an international customer club called AMOS CLUB in Romania. Pollak concludes: "Romania is a strategic market for space-communications." Romania's expected entry into the European Union will open up opportunities for us for additional business activities. We are interested in increasing the percentage of occupancy of the satellite and expanding the scope of its users.''
