Another SPS question

> I can foresee an number of benefits and problems
with combining a
> SPS and a satellite array on one platform.
>
> The problems that I see are that there would be
electromagnetic
> radiation problems from the SPS transmitting dish,
the SPS having to

This idea is actually not new, orbital antenna farms
have been discussed
over the years. They have not happened simply
because they require a
higher investment than a traditional comm-sat, and
nobody has been able
to pony up that much money in one chunk. So we have
ended up with
smaller systems, which are more verstile and adaptable
to unique
custoemr requirements.

>
> radiate heat. Also, an array of a number of
satellites might cause

Heat radiation is not a problem unique to this
scenario. Whatever
solution the SPS has, the comm payload can share it..

>
> problems with co-ordinating incoming signals. My
vision on the

Frequency management can be handled in a variety of
ways.
Large dishes with multiple spot beams is the proposed
solution I have
seen.
Spread spectrum is also a possibility for frequency
reuse.

>
> pitfalls of combining these two concepts into one
platform is kind
> of weak and I'd be intersting in reading what
everyone thinks of the
> benefits and pitfalls of such a platform.
>

It is quite possible that once SPS comes on line it
will be cheaper for
comm-payloads to piggy-back on to the same platform,
and we might see
the end of small comm-sats.

Cheers,

Charles R.