scope:

General

The large coverage area possible from a satellite·borne radio transmitter, especially on a satellite in the geostationary orbit, and the supporting technology which is available at present, will make possible the establishment of a broadcasting service to the general public. An earth-station transmitter could direct programme material to the satellite which, in turn, would broadcast this material over a wide area to individual or community receivers.

The technology applicable to the space segment of the broadcasting-satellite service is similar in many respects to the technology applicable to other satellite services. In a few areas, however, the technology needed for the broadcasting-satellite service will differ from that required in other services, and will require specialized research and development. These specialized areas include the generation of high RF power, high efficiency radio frequency generators, effective methods of heat conduction and dissipation from these high power RF sources, and the design and development of spacecraft antennas having low side-lobe levels and asymmetrically shaped beams.

The following sections of this Report are confined to discussions of these aspects of satellite design technology, apart from the last three mentioned above.