MARITIME MOBILE SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS TESTS PERFORMED ON S.S. SANTA LUCIA

The VHF Satellite Communication Test Project, undertaken by the Office of Research and Development of the Maritime Administration, resulted in two test voyages of the S.S. Santa Lucia both commencing from Port Newark, N.J. through the Panama Canal to Valparaiso, Chile and return. Both the ATS-1 and ATS-3 synchronous equational satellites were employed in the tests. This report describes the systems employed and the analysis of the experimental results. The feasibility of using space techniques for communication to an inexpensive shipboard terminal was demonstrated. It is shown that simplex, duplex or semi-duplex voice circuits, digital computer data, teletype, facsimile and time synchronization of a digital clock are feasible. Results of the propagation, voice channel, digital data, time synchronization and ranging tests are presented. The requirements for a shipboard antenna are analysed. Recommendations are made, based on observations made during the test program, for the effort required to provide an operational maritime mobile satellite system. ( Author )

• Corporate Authors:

  Westinghouse Electric Corporation

  Westinghouse Building
  Pittsburgh, PA  United States  15222
• Publication Date: 1969

Media Info

• Pagination: 112 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communications satellites; Satellite communication
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00001636
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1973 12:00AM