10 years of Alphasat Aldo Paraboni Q/V Band Experiment, Mission Evolution and Results
The pioneering position of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in the analysis and verification of Ka-band and Q/V band propagation, acquired though Sirio and Italsat F1 missions, has been consolidated when ASI proposed to the European Space Agency (ESA) to host an experimental payload in Q/V band on board the Alphasat GEO satellite, successfully launched in July 2013. This payload (TDP5) has been named Paraboni in honor of Professor Aldo Paraboni (1940-2013) of Politecnico di Milano, pioneer of scientific research on the use of high frequencies in satellite communications. In these last ten years University of Rome Tor Vergata, Principal Investigator for ASI, and Johanneum Research, Principal Investigator for ESA, have performed Q/V-band satellite communication experiments with the objective to test and optimize system configurations, adaptive transmission schemes and propagation impairments mitigation techniques. The objective of this session is to gather papers form experimenters, operators and manufacturers working in the field of extremely high frequency (beyond Ka-band) satellite communications, in order to identify an updated vision of the state of the art and define short and long term scenarios.
Co-Chairs:
Tommaso Rossi, University of Rome, Italy, and Giorgia Parca ASI, Italy
Speakers:
Giorgia Parca, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Italy
Edoardo Benzi, European Space Agency, The Netherlands
Francesco Vitulli, Thales Alenia Space Italia, Italy
Vaclav Valenta, European Space Agency, The Netherlands
Michael Schmidt, JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Austria
Tommaso Rossi, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy
Tommaso Rossi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electronics Engineering of University of Rome Tor Vergata, teaching “Multimedia Processing and Communication”, “Digital Signal Processing Laboratory” and “Signals”. In 2012 he joined the Interdepartmental Center for TeleInFrastructures (CTIF), a research center of Tor Vergata University, whose objective is to perform research in the field of inter-disciplinary applications of information and communication technology (ICT). His present research activity is focused on EHF (Extremely High Frequency) and UWB (Ultra-Wideband) Terrestrial and Satellite Communications, RF Human Sensing systems, Digital Beam-Forming and Microwave Diagnostic Medical Imaging. He is currently Co-Investigator of the Italian Space Agency Q/V-band satellite communication experimental campaign carried out through the “TDP#5 Aldo Paraboni” P/L (Technology Demonstration Payload) embarked on Alphasat satellite (launched in July 2013). In particular, he is responsible for the analysis of fade mitigation techniques, as adaptive coding and modulation (ACM), up-link power control and spatial diversity. He has been involved in the research activities of several projects funded by ASI, ESA, Italian Public Education Ministry and by major companies (e.g., Inmarsat, Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, Telespazio, etc.). He serves as an Associate Editor of Space Systems for IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems. He is author of more than 100 papers, on international journals and proceedings of international conferences.
Giorgia Parca joined the Italian Space Agency in 2013, working in the Telecommunications and Navigation Unit, with the Scientific Research Unit, and currently in the International Affairs Directorate with the Relation with ESA Unit. She has been working on national and international programs/projects in the field of enabling technologies for space communications, such as communications and propagation at EHF based on Alphasat-Aldo Paraboni P/L. She has been working on European Commission funded projects coordinated by the agency; coauthor of several papers on international journals and conferences proceedings, since 2021 she is member of national delegation to the European Space Agency Telecommunications and Navigation Programme Boards.