Frequency Bands for Meteorological Satellite Met Sat Communications

Frequency Bands for Meteorological Satellite (Met. Sat) Communications and its Coordinated Use among Meteorological Satellite Operators presented by Markus Dreis EUMETSAT WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 1

Allocated Frequency Bands for Met. Sat in the ITU Radio Regulations (RR) • 137 – 138 MHz (s-E) • 400. 15 – 401 MHz (s-E) • 401 – 403 MHz (E-s) • 460 – 470 MHz (s-E) ð Secondary allocation • 1670 – 1710 MHz (s-E) ð 1670 – 1675 MHz no new Met. Sat use (Res. 670) • 2025 – 2110 MHz (E-s) ð Space Operation (SO), Earth Exploration Satellite (EESS) • 2200 – 2290 MHz (s-E) ð SO and EESS • 7450 – 7550 MHz (s-E) ð RR Footnote 5. 461 A limits use to geostationary (GSO) • 7750 – 7850 MHz (s-E) ð RR FN 5. 461 B limits use to non-geostationary (NGSO) • 8025 – 8400 MHz (s-E) ð EESS with stringent PFD limits in Region 1 and 3 • 8175 – 8215 MHz (E-s) • 18. 1 – 18. 3 GHz (s-E) ð Subject to extension to 300 MHz at WRC-2007 • 25. 5 – 27 GHz (s-E) ð EESS WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 2

Typical applications in the Frequency Bands allocated to the Met. Sat service (1) • 137 – 138 MHz (s-E) ð Dissemination of low rate data from NGSO Met. Sat to user stations • 401 – 403 MHz (E-s) ð Data uplink from DCPs to GSO Met. Sat. The band is divided into regional and international channels • 1670 – 1710 MHz (s-E) ð The band is divided into several parts and is used for downlink of raw data, DCP data, dissemination • 2025 – 2110 MHz (E-s) ð Telecommand ranging from main Earth and uplink of processes data for dissemination • 2200 – 2290 MHz (s-E) ð Telemetry and downlink of raw data to main station WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 3

Typical applications in the Frequency Bands allocated to the Met. Sat service (2) • 7450 – 7550 MHz (s-E) ð Downlink of medium rate raw data from GSO Met. Sat to main Earth station (not used on current generation Met. Sat systems) • 7750 – 7850 MHz (s-E) ð Downlink of raw data from NGSO Met. Sat to main Earth station, but also dissemination • 8025 – 8400 MHz (s-E) ð Downlink of sensor data from GSO and NGSO Met. Sat to main Earth station • 18. 1 – 18. 3 GHz (s-E) ð Downlink of high rate raw data to main Earth station • 25. 5 – 27 GHz (s-E) ð Downlink of high rate raw data to main Earth station (currently no plans for next generation Met. Sat) WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 4

Constellation of Meteorological Satellites GOES-9 (USA) 200°W METOP-A (EUMETSAT) (launch 6/2006) FY-1 D (CHINA) GOES-10 (USA) 135°W MTSAT-1 R (JAPAN) 140°E FY-2 B (CHINA) 123. 5°E FY-2 C (CHINA) 105°E GOES-11 (USA) 105°W GOES-12 (USA) 75°W NOAA-12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 (USA) METEOSAT-9 (EUMETSAT) 6. 5°W (currently in commissioning) INSAT 2 -B (INDIA) 111. 5°E METEOR-3 M-N 1 (RUSSIA) METEOSAT-8 (EUMETSAT) METEOSAT-7 (EUMETSAT) METEOSAT-6 3. 4°W INSAT 2 -C 0° Longitude (EUMETSAT) (INDIA) 10°E 48°E INSAT 3 -C (INDIA) 74°E INSAT 3 -A (INDIA) 93. 5°E FY-2 A (CHINA) 86. 5°E INSAT 2 -E (INDIA) 83°E GOMS-N 1 KALPANA-1 (RUSSIA) 76°E METEOSAT-5 (INDIA) (EUMETSAT) 74°E 63°E

Different mechanisms to ensure the coordinated and protected use of the spectrum for Met. Sat - Regulations • • ITU-Radio Regulations: – Frequency Band Allocations to Space Radiocommunication Services such as Met. Sat, Earth Exploration Satellite and Space Operation – Limitations in the RR to facilitate sharing with other services – Satellite Notification Procedure (in case of GSO with coordination with concerned administrations; for NGSO there is no ITU coordination procedure !!!) ITU-R Recommendations: – Definition of sharing, performance and interference criteria of the science services in the framework of ITU-R Study Group 7 – Determination of methods for sharing with the other allocated radio services WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 6

Different mechanisms to ensure the coordinated and protected use of the spectrum for Met. Sat – Other Fora • • Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG): – Early coordination of frequency use for planned satellite systems – Agreements of principles on how to use the available spectrum for Met. Sat, Earth Exploration Satellite and Space operation Service WMO and its Steering Group on Radio Frequency Coordination: – • Coordination between WMO Members for the use of frequency bands allocated to meteorological activities in the framework of the World Weather Watch (WWW) and their sharing with other radio communication services Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS): – Not particularly dealing with frequency use, CGMS provides a forum for an early coordination of future Met. Sat systems in all aspects of mission planning, e. g. data formats, mutual cooperation and data/product exchange WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 7

Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG) • Mission Statement: SFCG is the pre-eminent radio-frequency collegiate of Space Agencies and related national and international organizations through which global space systems spectrum resources are judiciously husbanded for the benefit of humanity. • Objective: The SFCG was established in order to provide a less formal and more flexible environment, as compared to the official organs of the ITU for the solution of frequency management problems encountered by member space agencies. • Charter: SFCG provides a forum for multilateral discussion and coordination of spectrum matters of mutual interest concerning space radiocommunication services, such as Space Research, Space operations, Earth exploration satellite and the Meteorological satellite service. WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 8

What does SFCG do to make best use of the limited spectrum available for Met. Sat, EESS and SO? Examples: • RES A 12 -1 R 2: • SFCG Satellite Database • REC 12 -4 R 3: Methods for Reduction of Potential Interference between Systems in the Space Science Service in Densely Occupied Bands • RES 19 -7 R 2: Use of the 7750 -7850 MHz Band by Non-GSO Met. Sat • REC 4 -3 R 3: Utilization of 2 GHz Band by Space Operation • REC 11 -1 R 3: Use of the Band 1670 - 1710 MHz for Met. Sat Establishment of Procedures for Inter-agency Frequency Coordination WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 9

Inter-Agency Frequency Coordination in the Framework of SFCG (1) • Although the RR satellite notification procedure provides a good mechanism to coordinate (at least for GSO) future satellite systems with the concerned ITU member administrations, it does not always provide the desired efficiency and flexibility to facilitate coordination for the planned frequency spectrum use for Met. Sat, EESS and SO. • Specially in the early phase of the RR satellite notification procedure, the advanced publication, this ITU-R process does not provide sufficient transparency of the planned frequency use. • The RR satellite notification procedure does not foresee coordination for NGSO systems. WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 10

Inter-Agency Frequency Coordination in the Framework of SFCG (2) • To complement the RR satellite notification procedure of the ITU-R, an inter-agency frequency coordination procedure was established in the framework of SFCG (RES A 12 -1 R 2). • This inter-agency frequency coordination motivates SFCG members, already at the very early stages of a mission design, to coordinate the planned frequency use with concerned SFCG members with the aim to minimize the potential radio spectrum interference to existing and planned satellite systems. • SFCG member agencies involved in such a coordination process can utilize the SFCG satellite database and provide update information on existing and planned satellite systems. WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 11

Use of the Frequency Band 1675‑ 1710 MHz as agreed by the Met. Sat Operators in SFCG Recommendation 11‑ 1 R 3 recommends: 1. that the band 1675‑ 1690 MHz be used for future main Earth stations at relatively few fixed locations for reception of raw image data and data collection from geostationary meteorological satellites; 2. that the band 1683 -1690 MHz also be used for user stations for data dissemination (GVAR and S-VISSR) from geostationary meteorological satellites; 3. that the band 1690‑ 1698 MHz be used for direct read‑out services, data collection platform observations and data dissemination from geostationary meteorological satellites to user stations; 4. that the band 1698‑ 1710 MHz be used for direct read‑out and pre-recorded image data transmissions from non‑geostationary meteorological satellites. WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 12

Use of the Frequency Band 7750 -7850 MHz by NGSO Met. Sat systems as agreed by SFCG members SFCG Resolution 19‑ 7 R 2 resolves: 1. that space agencies planning and operating Met. Sats develop procedures for efficient use of the 7750 -7850 MHz band that allows interference-free reception of vital meteorological and environmental data; 2. that direct readout transmissions be turned-off during passes of CDA stations when in conflict with downlinks of stored mission data (data dump transmissions); 3. Invites members agencies when planning Met. Sat transmissions in this band to develop among themselves operating schemes that permit interferencefree reception of data, including the need to interrupt direct broadcast transmissions within the reception area of CDA stations (stored data dumps) in case of conflict. WMO - Workshop on Radio Frequencies for Meteorology Geneva, 20 – 21 March 2006 Page 13