Lightweight, Highly Deployable, Jam-resistant Satellite Communications Modem

Pseudonoise Communications proposes to develop a low cost ground terminal modem for MILSATCOM, using direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS)techniques. Cost reduction in satcom terminal devlopment will be explored by reusing emerging commercial technologyfor wireless data transmission based on DSSS techniques. During Phase I, analysis and simulations will be used to define parameter specifications for the physical and medium access control (MAC) layer for the air interface to be used for communicationbetween the ground terminal and a network control center via a bent pipe satellite. It is expected that some of the same techniques that are developed here will be applicable for high rate data communications via commercial satellite systems, both currentgeneration ones like Globalstar, and follow-on systems using geostationary satellites. It is very important that existing satellite systems' capacity be used in different ways than just to provide only voice services, in order to maximize revenues for theoperators, or else follow-on systems will not be built for a long time.