Modifying Off-The-Shelf, Low Cost, Terrestrial Transceivers for Space Based Applications

The design, fabrication, and testing of low earth orbit satellite transceivers can get costly and time consuming for companies. As communication satellites proliferate, it is clear that lower cost materials, components, and processes will become standard procedure to stay competitive in the marketplace. This paper outlines the design and modifications done to off-the-shelf, terrestrial, ultra and very high frequency (UHF/VHF) communication equipment for just such a purpose. These low cost commercial products were successfully integrated and modified to survive the space environment. The work was accomplished by the Communications team of Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratories specifically to fly on the SAPPHIRE satellite. This was done without heavy R&D development time or cost overruns. To verify the feasibility of this methodology, this paper will outline issues such as link margins, testing procedures, and cost. Overall performance results will be presented as well. The applicability to industry will be explored towards the conclusion.