Experimental Evaluation of Ultra Wideband Propagation and Transmission within a Small Spacecraft for Replacing Wired Interface Buses

Measurement and characterization of ultra wideband (UWB) propagation and transmission within small spacecrafts were investigated with a view to (at least partly) displacing wired interface buses in spacecrafts with wireless links. Measurements were conducted in a mechanical test model of a small spacecraft and an equivalent shield box. The impact of apertures perforated on the outer surface and radio absorbers within the box were also examined. The following properties were derived there from: channel responses in the frequency- and time-domain, spatial distributions of UWB and narrowband propagation gains, delay spreads, and throughputs, the relation between delay spread and area of apertures and the absorber, and the relation between fading depth and the bandwidth. On the effects of apertures, the larger total area of apertures resulted in lower UWB propagation gains, shorter delay spreads, and slightly higher link throughput. Commercially off-the-shelf UWB devices were used in the experiments of UWB technology to facilitate a high data rate.