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Independent satellite communications, telecommunications and satellite technology consultant.

Satellite communications, design and technology specialists, Aetheric Engineering are an independent telecommunications consultancy, established in 1989. Aetheric Engineering offer and are renowned for their flexibility and tailoring of support to the actual needs of each of our clients.

We offer advice and support throughout all project phases from feasibility and design studies, through procurement and project management, to installation, commissioning and operation of telecommunications networks, especially satellite communication systems.  We also offer support in the establishment of effective Communications Regulatory Organisations.

Aetheric Engineering’s capabilities include spacecraft, earth stations, control centres, communications networks, and the interfacing of satellite communication systems with terrestrial infrastructure.  We can offer geostationary, LEO and MEO satellite expertise and our earth station experience includes all sizes from VSAT to 30m diameter.

We are a specialist and independent consultancy, with our clients’ interests at heart.

We have established a reputation for flexible and responsive support, and aim to ensure that each of clients receives relevant, consistent and complete assistance, meeting all of their requirements.  We are happy to work as a part of our client’s project team, when this is appropriate.

All our consultants have many years relevant experience and are accustomed to working at all levels of organisations.

As a result, we offer impartial, effective and motivated support to all our clients.

Why Independent Consultancy?

Whilst conceptually simple, communications satellites are actually very complex feats of engineering.  They can be likened to a microwave repeater in a terrestrial network, but they are a single repeater serving the entire network visible from that satellite’s orbital location.  This introduces the need for long term reliability.  Given the high cost of a satellite (including its launch), it must have a long operational lifetime in order to provide an adequate return on investment.  Typically, satellites must continue to operate throughout 15 years or more (with no opportunity for maintenance!).

1.            Satellite Subsystems

In addition to the communications payload, the part that receives and re-transmits the signals, a satellite consists of several subsystems which allow it to operate in space.  A very brief summary of those subsystems would be:

• The Power subsystem converts sunlight into electrical power using panels of solar cells.  That electrical power is used to support all the equipment on board the satellite, and to charge batteries so that the satellite can continue to operate during eclipses.

• The Attitude Control subsystem senses the direction in which the satellite is pointing and ensures that this is always towards the Earth.  This subsystem includes detectors that can identify the Earth and/or stars, and wheels that absorb the momentum of the satellite as its orientation is disturbed and can also release that momentum when required to re-point the satellite.

• The Propulsion subsystem consists of small rocket thrusters which provide a coarse attitude control and which can also allow the wheels to dump some of their momentum when required.  They also provide a capability to move the satellite from one orbital location to another.  Most satellites include a large thruster which is used to establish the correct orbit, after launch.

• Mechanisms (or moving parts) are an important part of any satellite.  They must work reliably or the complete satellite mission may be lost.  Examples include the deployment of the solar panels or antennas and the constantly rotating hubs of the solar panels as they follow the Sun while the body of the satellite continues to point towards the Earth.  Self lubricating mechanisms are essential, since any liquid lubricant will evaporate into space.

• The satellite Structure comprises a number of elements that will be integrated together as the satellite is assembled.  Those elements must be self-supporting, to at least some extent, prior to the complete integration of the satellite.  The completed satellite must survive the launch and provide a rigid support for the antennas that are required to be kept pointing towards the correct parts of the earth’s surface at all times.  It is also essential to minimise the mass of the satellite, so that launch costs are also minimised.

• Satellites experience extremes of temperature, either heated by the Sun or cooled by deep space.  In addition, communications satellites include high power transmitters which also generate heat.  The internal temperatures are maintained within operating limits by the Thermal subsystem, using heatpipes to spread the dissipation of heat and heaters to maintain temperatures during eclipses.  It may also be necessary to include thermal radiators for very high power equipment.

• Although not a part of the satellite, the Launch is an essential element of the mission.  There are advantages and disadvantages when using each launch vehicle, and it is necessary to determine the best option based on the size and mass of the satellite, and also the desired orbit.  Satellites are often designed within size and mass limits, in order to maintain compatibility with particular launch vehicles.

For a communications satellite, the mission objective is achieved by the capacity and performance of the Communications Payload.  There will be a need to provide interconnectivity between particular locations on the Earth’s surface.  The number of those links, the required sensitivity of the satellite’s receivers and the required power of the satellite’s transmitters all form a part of the input to the design.  The size and shape of the antennas are an integral part of those design options, as is the resulting complexity of the switch matrices that allow interconnectivity between channels.

2.            Procurement Management

In order to guarantee the necessary long term reliability, the supply chains that result in a complete satellite involve each supplier-customer relationship taking the form of a pro-active involvement in the entire chain below that stage.  At each stage, the supplier must demonstrate that his product is qualified to operate in the harsh space environment, including the components that have been bought in, as well as demonstrating that the product’s performance meets the required specification.  This includes the customer, looking at the satellite and its launch as the product being procured.

In order to achieve the desired long operating lifetimes, the specifications for equipment and components must be very detailed and include the effects of the thermal and radiation environment that will be experienced once in orbit.  Whenever failures or accidents are experienced during the procurement and integration of the satellite, a full analysis of the implications for the entire satellite mission is necessary, to ensure that the satellite’s reliability is not impaired.

Many well established satellite operators maintain a procurement team of experienced engineers and programme managers, to manage the purchase of new satellites.  They often also provide technical support to the satellite operations teams.  However, smaller satellite operators, or those that buy new satellites less frequently, may not be able to justify the cost of maintaining such a procurement team.  Consultants can fill that gap, providing the necessary technical and programmatic expertise for the duration of the satellite procurement.

3.            Independent Consultancy

It is important, however, that the consultancy is independent.  Apparent bias could be introduced should a manufacturer or another satellite operator provide advice.  In addition, a manufacturer could gain knowledge of a competitor’s technology, or another satellite operator could gain commercial knowledge of a competitor.

There are a number of independent satellite consultancy companies, offering expertise gained from several years of design and manufacture and/or procurement of satellites.  Aetheric Engineering Ltd is one of those companies, with experience of working for clients in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.