Millimeter Wave Space Communications with the ATS-F Satellite

The first space communications system operating at millimeter wavelengths is planned for the sixth NASA Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-F), scheduled for launch in April of 1974. The ATS-F experiment is designed to provide engineering data on wideband space-to-earth transmissions at 20 GHz and 30 GHz as a function of meteorological conditions and modulation techniques. This paper describes the system design for both the spacecraft and ground station portions of the experiment and emphasizes the unique design characteristics of these relatively new and unexplored frequency bands.