Possibilities for international collaboration in satellite communications constellations

This paper reports on investigations now being carried out at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore to explore the use of the equatorial low Earth orbit (LEO) to provide improved coverage for geographical areas around the equator. It is predicted that with 6 or more satellites, continuous service could be provided for countries lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The regions to benefit include Singapore and Northern Australia. Micro- and mini-satellites in inclined LEO orbit will be used initially by NTU to conduct research in the areas of store and forward communications, electronic messaging, remote sensing, remote data collection, environmental monitoring, meteorology, surveillance, GPS applications, satellite-PCN, and mobile communication. This will also serve as a vehicle for the transfer of technology and satellite expertise to Singapore. Future proposals include the launch of Singapore´s own micro- or mini-satellites to pioneer the use of the equatorial orbit for communications. This paper also describes new initiatives in Australia to establish a Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Services (CRCSS). One of the first tasks of CRCSS will be to develop a LEO microsatellite for experimental trials of communications and positioning systems. It is conjectured that there could be advantages in international collaboration that would permit two or more satellites to be used as a constellation for experimental purposes