Results of a MIMO Testbed with Geosynchronous Ku-Band Satellites

If multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) satellite communications (SATCOM) systems use spatial multiplexing, the channel capacity depends on the geometrical conditions of the antenna setup. This theoretical result is proven and confirmed for the first time by a true-MIMO test campaign. To this end, we utilize two Ku-band satellites and a ground station with two antennas as a 2 x 2 MIMO SATCOM measurement system. The channel capacity is estimated and compared to its theoretical prediction. The probing results show a perfect match to the theoretical predictions.