A Range Segment Upgrade for Air Force Satellite Control Network with Smart Antennas and Cognitive Satellite Radios

ABSTRACT: A range segment upgrade for Air Force satellite control network (AFSCN) will significantly improve system effectiveness via spectrum sharing and seamless interoperation. However, the upgraded system requires new capabilities such as real-time and accurate RF interference detection and mitigation, array antenna backlobe/sidelobe suppressions, accurate performance degradation prediction, robust link power budget under uncertainty, etc. Accomplishing those goals is main keys enabling a range segment upgrade for AFSCN, however, the existing techniques provide only limited such capabilities. In this project, InfoBeyond and Oregon State University advocate an Efficient Range Segment Upgrade (ERSU) for AFSCN using stochastic interference prediction and context-aware smart antenna control to address these challenges. Firstly, ERSU provides a robust and accurate statistical interference estimation algorithm based on the tools of the Gaussian Markov Random Field. The proposed algorithm offers a real-time interference estimation given erroneous/corrupted spatial-temporal observations. Secondly, a hidden semi-Markov model based channel prediction algorithm is proposed for robust and accurate channel prediction. It is able to predict not only channel states but also the state duration. Finally, ERSU offers a context-aware stochastic decision making given the input uncertainties. The proposed scheme allows the transmitter efficient selects and controls array antenna enabling reliable multi-satellite receptions. BENEFIT: The ability to provide a range segment upgrade for multi-satellite communication capabilities is proving increasingly useful for many commercial and military applications. However, the current approaches are very limited to offer such capabilities in stringent operational conditions. Our proposed ERSU provides an innovative approach that enables an efficient range segment upgrade for AFSCN. ERSU offers a viable solution to the future in-band telemetry, tracking and commanding by efficiently using the spectrum resources. Once it is developed as COTS/GOTS products, ERSU leads to several key business benefits. Firstly, it provides cost-effective space system interoperability for range segment upgrade. Using the unified S-band could significantly reduce the infrastructure, operational and maintenance cost while increasing the interoperation capabilities among different space assets. It enables commercial space opportunities in a cost-effective fashion where a frequency band can be shared among many providers. Importantly, the ERSU is implemented as software modules with standard interfaces that enable a quick integration with the existing systems. Secondly, ERSU offers effective cognitive satellite communications. The interference estimation and prediction capabilities of ERSU algorithms could enable cognitive satellite communications for military, government, and commercial applications. For instance, the proposed ERSU can be deployed to a ground station for cognitively use idle satellite links to transmit information and data. The robust and accurate interference prediction capabilities could significantly reduce the collision probability of the cognitive system. Thirdly, ERSU support cost-effective mission planning and link design. Integrating with existing simulation tools (e.g., GNU radio and universal software radio peripheral (USRP), ERSU offers a cost-effective simulation and design tools for planning missions and designing satellite communication links. For example, based on the robust interference and channel modeling, ERSU can quickly and accurately provide optimal configuration/transmission parameters as well as link budget to the network designers for reliable communications. Due to these benefits, Air Force would gain significant value from the commercialized dual-use adaptive radio technology anticipated into the AFSCN operations. ERSU can be used in many tactical long distance data transfer and storage in the military and governmental applications in a cost-effective manner. ERSU can also be applied for business and commercial applications providing cost-effective, high-data rate and inter-continent communications. The commercial market size is much larger than that of the military applications where the organizations enable massive data communications in a cost-effective way. Our effort for the commercial market is to transition the ERSU technology into various applications and attract a great amount of investments. We will closely work with our partners to transfer this technology into military and commercial domains.