02-21-2010, 11:15 PM
[quote name='Gagan' date='20 February 2010 - 02:16 PM' timestamp='1266655127' post='104391']
How about ISRO send in a constellation of microsats, or smaller satellites, which'll function as receivers and transmit all data to appropriate ground station when they are in range. They can store data for the rest of the trip.
A satellite that has to function purely as an antenna, recording and transmitting device to gather ELINT, store it and then transmit it to a suitable ground station shouldn't need to be too big. Maybe these could be launched by the Agni 3x/5 series <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
[/quote]
Easier said than done.
ELINT signal is of very diverse modulation and it has large frequency bands of interest. One cant devise a storage system that absorbe that data rate, much less store it for few hrs duration to relay to ground station.
ELINT sat has to at least pre-process and tune in selective channels. Most ELINTs have on board processors to sieve the channel streams for intelligence. It is a power and processing hungry satellite. If you seen pics of some of the US military payloads, and its size atop launcher.
Think of ELINT as an autonomous (remotely controlled) AEW&C (AWACS), and consider the difference in architecture of Russian A-50 vs PHELCON. A-50 is a airboarn reciver where all processing is done on ground station, PHELCON processes it on board.
How about ISRO send in a constellation of microsats, or smaller satellites, which'll function as receivers and transmit all data to appropriate ground station when they are in range. They can store data for the rest of the trip.
A satellite that has to function purely as an antenna, recording and transmitting device to gather ELINT, store it and then transmit it to a suitable ground station shouldn't need to be too big. Maybe these could be launched by the Agni 3x/5 series <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> [/quote]
Easier said than done.
ELINT signal is of very diverse modulation and it has large frequency bands of interest. One cant devise a storage system that absorbe that data rate, much less store it for few hrs duration to relay to ground station.
ELINT sat has to at least pre-process and tune in selective channels. Most ELINTs have on board processors to sieve the channel streams for intelligence. It is a power and processing hungry satellite. If you seen pics of some of the US military payloads, and its size atop launcher.
Think of ELINT as an autonomous (remotely controlled) AEW&C (AWACS), and consider the difference in architecture of Russian A-50 vs PHELCON. A-50 is a airboarn reciver where all processing is done on ground station, PHELCON processes it on board.