Fade and inter-fade duration data obtained from the three beacons at 12, 20, and 30 GHz aboard the OLYMPUS satellite were analyzed. The different types of signal impairments and their causes were highlighted and a literature survey conducted. Twelve months of fade and inter-fade data were analyzed and the results of these statistics are presented in the form of tables and figures. The analysis was done on both the monthly and annual data. These tables and figures show that at the higher fade levels, the number of fade events and the fade time is smaller than at the lower thresholds. For the same fade level the number of fade events and the fade time goes down as the fade duration which it exceeds is increased. Inter-fade durations also showed similar results. The fades exhibited seasonal dependencies. The number of fades (and consequently the fade time) were much higher for the months of May through August and for the months of March and December. The other months showed very little fade activity. A model was also constructed that can predict the fade time as a function of frequency, attenuation level, and fade duration interval. The predicted fade times agree well with the measured fade duration data. An alternate simplified version of the model is also presented. / Master of Science

Frequency scaling of attenuation is the prediction of attenuation at a desired frequency from attenuation values at a base frequency. The attenuation at the base frequency is often known from prior measurements. Frequency scaling of attenuation is of interest because of the eventual need to exploit higher frequency bands. Most satellite communications traffic now use C-band (4-8 GHz) and Ku-band (12-18 GHz). The next approved, yet largely unused, frequency allocation for domestic use is in the K-band (18-27 GHz) to Ka-band (27-40 GHz). At these higher frequencies, however, earth-space radio links suffer atmospherically induced impairments as frequency increases. In particular, rain causes severe fading. Consequently, satellite systems in these higher bands are very susceptible to outages due to rain-induced fades. Reliable frequency scaling models are needed in system design to estimate the effect of these rain-induced fades. Between August 1990 and August 1992, V.P.I. & S.U.'s SATCOM Group performed extensive measurements of slant path attenuation using the 12, 20, and 30 GHz beacon signals (in the Ku/Ka-bands) of the European OLYMPUS experimental satellite. The experimental results are used to evaluate the usefulness of scaling models proposed by other researchers, both for instantaneous and statistical purposes. New models are presented for accurate scaling of attenuation within the Ku/Ka-bands. / Master of Science