University of Bahrain

College of Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Department
EENG 470 –SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Assignment # 2
Name: Ahmed Mohammed Sadiq ID: 20198429

1. Example 2.3 Geostationary Satellite Orbit (GEO) Radius

Question: The earth rotates once per sidereal day (23 hours 56 minutes 4.09
seconds). Use Eq. (2.21) to show that the radius of the GEO is 42 164.17 km as
given in Table 2.1.

2. Example 2.4 Low Earth Orbit

Question: A SpaceX mission to the ISS is an example of a LEO satellite mission.

Before rendezvousing with the ISS on this mission, SpaceX inserted the Dragon
capsule into an initial circular orbit 250 km above the earth's surface, where
there are still a finite number of molecules from the atmosphere. The mean
earth's radius, r, is approximately 6378.14 km. Using these numbers, calculate
the period of the Dragon capsule of SpaceX in its 250 km orbit. Find also the
linear velocity of the Dragon capsule along this orbit.
3. Example 2.5 Elliptical Orbit

Question: A satellite is in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 1000 km and an

apogee of 4000 km. Using a mean earth radius of 6378.14 km, find the period of
the orbit in hours, minutes, and seconds, and the eccentricity of the orbit.
4. 2.1 Explain what the terms centrifugal and centripetal mean with regard to a
satellite in orbit around the earth.

A satellite is in a circular orbit around the earth. The altitude of the satellite's
orbit
above the surface of the earth is 1500 km.
a. What are the centripetal and centrifugal accelerations acting on the
satellite.in its orbit? Give your answer in m/s.
b. What is the velocity of the satellite in this orbit? Give your answer in km/s.
c. What is the orbital period of the satellite in this orbit? Give your answer in
hours, minutes, and seconds.
Note: Assume the average radius of the earth is 6378.137 km and Kepler's con-
stant has the value 3.986 004-418 x 10 km²/s².

a)

b)

C)
5. 2.2 A satellite is in a circular orbit at an altitude of 350 km. Determine a. The orbital
angular velocity in radians per second. b. The orbital period in minutes. c. The orbital
velocity in meters per second. Note: Assume the average radius of the earth is
6378.137 km and Kepler’s constant has the value 3.986 004 418 × 105 km3/s2.

6. 2.3 A LEO satellite is in a circular equatorial orbit with an altitude of 1000 km. What is
the orbital period in hours, minutes, and seconds to the nearest 1/100 second?

7. 2.4 An observer is located on the equator at longitude 0°. How long is the LEO satellite
described in Question 3 visible to this observer, assuming that the observer can see
down to the horizon at zero degrees elevation? Give your answer in minutes and
seconds to the nearest second. Hint. This is a problem in geometry. Calculate the
angle at the center of the earth that defines visibility. Then find the relative angular
velocity of the satellite, assuming a prograde orbit (satellite travels in same direction
as earth’s rotation). Visibility time is central angle times angular velocity.
8. 2.5 A LEO satellite has an apogee altitude of 5000 km and a perigee altitude of 800 km.
What is the eccentricity of the orbit?
9. 2.6 What are Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion? Give the mathematical
formulation of Kepler’s third law of planetary motion. What do the terms perigee and
apogee mean when used to describe the orbit of a satellite orbiting the earth? A
satellite in an elliptical orbit around the earth has an apogee of 39 152 km and a perigee
of 500 km. What is the orbital period of this satellite? Give your answer in hours,
minutes, and seconds. Note: Assume the average radius of the earth is 6378.137 km
and Kepler’s constant has the value 3.986 004 418 × 105 km3/s2.

1. The orbit of any smaller body about a larger body is always an ellipse, with the center
of mass of the larger body as one of the two foci.

2. The orbit of the smaller body sweeps out equal areas in equal time.
3. The square of the period of revolution of the smaller body about the larger body
equals a constant multiplied by the third power of the semimajor axis of the orbital
ellipse. That is T^2= (4pi^2*a^3)/μ where this the orbital period, a is the semimajor axis
of the orbital ellipse, and μ is Kepler's constant. If the orbit is circular, then a becomes
distance r, defined as before.
10. 2.7 An observation satellite is to be placed into a circular equatorial orbit so that it
moves in the same direction as the earth’s rotation. Using a synthetic aperture radar
system, the satellite stores data on weather related parameters as it flies overhead.
These data will be downloaded to a controlling earth station after each trip around the
world. The orbit is designed so that the satellite is directly above the controlling earth
station, which is located on the equator, once every four hours. The controlling earth
station’s antenna is unable to operate below an elevation angle of 10° to the horizontal
in any direction. Taking the earth’s rotational period to be exactly 23 hours 56 minutes
4.09 seconds, find the following quantities: a. The satellite’s angular velocity in radians
per second. b. The orbital period in hours, minutes, and seconds. c. The orbital radius
in kilometers. d. The orbital height in kilometers. e. The satellite’s linear velocity in
meters per second. f. The time interval in minutes and seconds for which the
controlling earth station can communicate with the satellite on each pass.
11. 2.11 A GEO satellite is located at longitude 109° west. The satellite broadcasts
television programming to the continental United States. a. Calculate the look angles
for an earth station located near Blacksburg, Virginia, latitude 37.22°N, longitude
80.42°W. b. Calculate the look angles for an earth station located near Billings,
Montana, latitude 46.00°N, longitude 109.0°W. c. Calculate the look angles for an earth
station located near Los Angles, California, longitude 118.0°W, latitude 34.00°N.
12. 2.12 A GEO satellite is located at longitude 343° (17° west), over the Atlantic Ocean.
Communication is established through this satellite between two earth stations. One
earth station is near Washington, D.C., at latitude 38.9°N, longitude 77.2°W. The other
station is near Cape Town South Africa, at latitude 34.0°S, longitude 19.0°E. a.
Calculate the look angles for each earth station. Don’t forget that the earth station in
Africa looks north, and that it has a longitude in degrees east. The Washington, D.C.
station has a longitude in degrees west and looks south. The numerical values of the
earth station longitudes must be added when finding the separation of the stations in
longitude. b. Calculate the delay, in milliseconds, for a signal to travel from one earth
station to the other via the GEO satellite.

13. 2.13 A link is established through a GEO satellite at longitude 30°W between an earth
station near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, latitude 22.91°S, longitude 43.17°W, and an earth
station near Santiago, Chile, latitude 33.45°S, longitude 70.67°W. Calculate the look
angles for each earth station.