WIRELESS AT HIGH-ALTITUDES - ENVIRONMENTAL-EFFECTS ON SPACE-BASED ASSETS

Marconi sent the first trans-Atlantic signals nearly 100 years ago, ma rking the advent of both modern wireless communications and the initia l perceptions of the effects of solar-related natural phenomena on the se signals. Currently, interest is increasing rapidly in the use of co mmunications systems above the Earth's surface for voice and data tran sport From large communications satellites (comsats) in geosynchronous (CEO) orbit to numerous proposed low-Earth-orbit (LEO) spacecraft con stellations, several initiatives have been undertaken for the expansio n of services ranging from paging, inventory tracking, TV and telecomm unications. This extension of wireless concepts to the third dimension -the high upper atmosphere and space-includes such businesses as servi ce providers, launch vehicle builders, satellite manufacturers, ground station equipment providers, and personal communications device manuf acturers. Many of the third-dimension wireless concepts, designs, and implementations require consideration of the Earth's atmosphere and sp ace plasma environments that are mostly inconsequential to conventiona l wireless operations. This paper provides a brief overview of some cu rrent satellite-based concepts, focuses on the atmospheric, ionospheri c space, and solar environments that third-dimension wireless faces, a nd discusses some gaps in our current knowledge base.