FLIGHT AND GROUND TESTS OF A GOES SATELLITE TIME RECEIVER FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS

Roger L. Swanson

Abstract:	A satellite time receiver has been tested by the Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories in various environmental conditions during the past year. The commercial receiver which was designed to work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) was purchased from Arbiter Systems, Inc. The test program included operation at low elevation angles (less than five degrees), operation during flight in a military cargo aircraft and long term comparison with laboratory standards. Modern military spread spectrum communications systems require accurate timing to achieve synchronization. These systems will be deployed on various mobile platforms with attendant startup problems at remote locations. The GOES satellite time receiver offers an opportunity to provide easy wide area coverage synchronization at low cost. Two receivers were delivered in December 1979. One was carried to Thule, Greenland in March 1980 where the elevation angle was less than five degrees. Comparisons were made at Thule, Greenland and Goose Bay, Labrador with a Hewlett Packard Rubidium Traveling Clock. Test results from this trip will be presented. The results of long term testing which has been performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to determine the reliability and accuracy for use in testing of potential military communication systems will be presented. The test phase which involves integration into the test aircraft and related test results will be described.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 12th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting December 2 - 4, 1980 Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland
Pages:	351 - 376
Cite this article:	Swanson, Roger L., "FLIGHT AND GROUND TESTS OF A GOES SATELLITE TIME RECEIVER FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS APPLICATIONS," Proceedings of the 12th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Greenbelt, Maryland, December 1980, pp. 351-376.
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