Big LEO tables - introduction

[ Introduction | Big LEO Overview | Big LEO Tables | GSM Overview | Acronyms | References | Background ]

These documents contain data pertaining to some of the Big LEOs (Odyssey, ICO, Globalstar, Iridium, and Teledesic), and the GSM mobile telephony system which many voice LEO's telephone systems are based on and integrate with. The tables were compiled from various general sources, all publically available, in addition to correspondence with people in the field.

This information was originally compiled at the end of 1995 as part of a doctoral thesis, and is static. Since the information was compiled, Teledesic has undergone a none-public redesign and development of Odyssey has been suspended. Design details of other constellations will have altered, perhaps significantly. However, as this information provides some insight into the design of satellite constellations, it remains here.

Contents

Here's what's here:
Big LEO Overview
Brief textual summaries of each of the systems looked at.

Big LEO Tables
A tabulated overview of each of the systems, discussing various system parameters.

GSM overview
An overview of the GSM mobile-telephone system increasingly used everywhere outside the United States; its architecture, interfaces, protocols, the logical and physical channels it uses, and very briefly, the TDMA structure. The reason for introducing GSM is that Many Big LEOs will attempt to integrate with or reuse this established GSM technology.

Acronyms
A explanation of the abbreviations and acronyms used in GSM, mobile telephony, and satellite communication.

References
A list of many of the references used as sources to compile these tables.

Background
A brief background to the pages.

Standard disclaimers apply; no responsibility is accepted in any form for your use of the contents of these tables.
Lloyd Wood (L.Wood@society.surrey.ac.uk)
last updated 17 February 1998