SatCom                                                                                                                                        

A basic snapshot of of the various satellite constellation schemes are listed below.  More commercial information is covered by Satellite Today.

Voice
Iridium Globalstar Inmarsat Mini-M and GAN Super GEOs / Ellipso Courier / Odyssey

 

Broadband data
Teledesic SkyBridge Sterling Orblink Pentriad Virtual Geo/VIRGO @contact / GIPSE  Spaceway Astrolink WildBlue/iSky/KaStar Aster SWANsat / Astrium / Concert / Sky Station HALO Platform International

 

Radio
Sirius XM Radio 

 

Messaging
Orbcomm Final Analysis AprizeStar / KITComm TropNet 

 

Navigation
GPS Glonass 

 

Remote sensing
FUEGO RapidEye Skymed-Cosmo 

 

Other
There's search and rescue; some people might consider Inmarsat's Cospas-Sarsat to be a constellation, although this is really a service carried as additional payload on different types of satellites. The satellites have uncoordinated ground coverage; wait for a satellite to come overhead and to connect to a ground station, and there's no positioning information in the system, which predates GPS use. A GEO constellation has been proposed.

NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System can be thought of as a private constellation; it's used for communication by the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

Astrium's Grace is a two-satellite constellation (with an intersatellite link!) to do ocean and gravity monitoring. It was launched on 17 March 2002. Further information and a launch diary are available.

To view the Earth as currently seen from a satellite in Earth orbit, choose the satellite from the list here or on the figure below. The satellite database is updated regularly but may not reflect the current position of satellites, such as the U.S. Space Shuttle, which maneuver frequently after reaching orbit.

Didn't realize that there was so much to consider?  If you would like a site visit, feasibility report, information paper, prototype application, point paper assistance, familiarization briefing or assistance contact:

info@advanced-rc.com