Satellite Communications: Future Systems

The theme of these companion volumes is Satellite Communications Systems for the 1980’s, the third decade, and the advances in technology needed to make these new systems possible. At the time of this writing, we are just coming to the end of the second decade of the use of communications satellites.

Volumes 54 and 55 of Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics are organized to follow a twin-thread theme. Volume 54 describes satellite communication systems for the 1980's. The first four chapters cover specific classes of satellite systems: North American Domestic, Intelsat, National and Regional, and Defense Systems. Chapter 5 provides a significant and coherent overview of launch options for the satellite systems engineer. Chapter 6 presents several outstanding advanced systems concepts.

Companion Volume 55 describes the new technologies which will make the systems in Volume 54 possible. A key principle used in the preparation and organization of Volume 55 has been to present more papers in the "other than communications" disciplines. Although we recently have gone through a period when the major emphasis in communications satellites was in communications technologies, significant and major advances have been made in other technologies equally important to the future of these satellites.