Maritime Communication Experiments and Search-and-Rescue Evaluations with the NASA ATS-6 Satellite. Volume II. Text and Appendix.

The objective of maritime satellite communication experiments were to acquire a base of satellite technology knowledge applicable to ship-satellite-shore system design and to demonstrate, by means of coordination among several ships, aircraft, and groundshore control centers, some operational uses of satellites for ATC and SAR applications. A description of the ATS-6 experiments is presented along with the technical characteristics of the shipboard terminals used in the experiments. The tests conducted in this program provide a large and homogeneous data base, over a variety of elevation angles, sea states, multipath conditions, and signal levels. The writers believe that the data presented in this report provide a suitable base to recommend performance standards for a satellite-relay Coast Guard Communications System. The recommended system would be a combined voice, data, and ranging system, which would initially rely primarily on voice communications, with gradual increases in the use of digital data links. Ranging would provide two dimensonal position location assuming the availability of at least two satellites.