Automated Testing of Developmental Satellite Communications Systems and Subsystems

Lower frequency bands allocated for satellite communications use are rapidly becoming saturated due to steadily increasing demand. NASA has an ongoing program to develop the new technologies required to meet the demands of future systems. Under this program, higher frequency components and more efficient system techniques are being developed and tested. In order to accurately evaluate the performance of these technologies, an automated test system has been designed and built at NASA's Lewis Research Center. This paper describes the automated system's design and discusses its capabilities.