Geosynchronous satellites for MUOS

This paper proposes satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) for the mobile user objective system (MUOS). Each satellite has a large, deployable, multibeam antenna and onboard signal processing. The high directivity of the antenna enables small disadvantaged terminals with severe propagation impairments to reliably communicate via satellite and permits substantial frequency reuse. The design incorporates efficient access control, modulation, and coding, allowing each satellite to service several thousand terminals. This paper overviews the concept and discusses many key system aspects including the payload design, common air interface, and performance.