A Survey on Different Modulation Techniques in Satellite Miniature Technology

Abstract

In a decade, there has been a rapid development in space technology. The era of Satellite Miniature Technology has begun with a growing number of satellites orbiting around the Earth within 300-500km altitude. It makes various applications possible including Earth observation, Communication, Navigation, Agriculture, and remote sensing. This technology reduces manufacturing and launch costs to a minimum level. The size of these satellites ranges from 500kg to 0.1kg with its variants named mini, micro, Nano and Pico. This technology enables us to achieve objectives in new innovative ways. Due to emerging new technologies and lightweight materials, the growth of Satellite Technology is inevitable shortly with upgraded missions to Mars, Moon, and Jupiter. This paper describes various Modulation schemes employed in miniature satellite technology depending on the location where the satellite is placed, mode of operation, working bandwidth range, etc. Some of the modulation schemes that are employed in Nanosatellite communications are discussed in detail.