An analytical model to predict the probability density function of elevation angles for LEO satellite systems

Based on Earth-satellite geometry, an analytical model is proposed to predict the probability density function (pdf) of elevation angles from an Earth station to a circular low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Unlike currently available empirical models using a great deal of path data for model-fitting to obtain results applicable only to the specified systems (for example, the Iridium or Globalstar systems), the proposed model is fast, exact and provides greater flexibility for the user-specified satellite systems. The results may help to develop the LEO satellite communication channel models under the propagation environments characterized by various empirical elevation-angle-dependent channel models.