MITRC REFRESHER COURSE ANSWER KEY Satellite Communications

1. The first passive satellite 12. Satellite-to-satellite link is also called

a. Telstar a. Uplink
b. Early Bird b. Downlink
c. Sputnik I c. Crosslink
d. Moon d. Weakest link

2. The first active satellite 13. The expression for satellite link frequencies such as 14/12 GHz
a. Sputnik I denotes that
b. Telstar a. 12 GHz is the uplink frequency and 14 GHz is the downlink
c. INTELSAT I frequency
d. Explorer I b. the system is operating at a mean frequency of 13 Ghz
c. 14 GHz is the uplink frequency and 12 GHz is the
3. The first geostationary satellite launched in 1965 is downlink frequency
a. Syncom I d. the 14 GHz frequency is backup for 12 GHz frequency or vice
b. Sputnik I versa
c. Explorer I
d. Early Bird 14. The most widely used microwave bands for commercial
applications are
4. The average lifetime of geosynchronous satellites is about a. C band and X band
__________ years. b. X band and S band
a. 5 c. C band and Ku band
b. 10 d. S band and Ku band
c. 15
d. 20 15. At present, the RF band mainly used by most satellites is
a. EHF
5. A communication satellite is a repeater between b. UHF
a. A transmitting station and receiving station c. SHF
b. Many transmitting stations and many receiving stations d. VHF
c. A transmitting station and many receiving stations
d. Many transmitting stations and a receiving station 16. The required antenna size __________ as the operating frequency
of a system increases, assuming that antenna gain remains
6. One of the main applications of satellite communications is unchanged.
monitoring the ecological situation of the earth. This is known as a. Remains the same
a. Navigation b. Increases
b. Surveillance c. Decreases
c. Remote control d. All of the above
d. Remote sensing
17. A 20-m antenna gives a certain up-link gain at frequencies of 4/6
7. What vacuum tube used to amplify RF signal for transmission GHz. For getting the same gain in 20/30 GHz band, antenna size
through the downlink to station receiver? requires __________ meters.
a. Magnetron a. 100
b. Klystron b. 4
c. Twystron c. 1
d. TWT d. 10

8. A high power tube used in transmission of RF signal uplink 18. Orbital disturbances of a geosynchronous satellite are caused by
a. Magnetron a. Moon
b. Klystron b. Sun
c. BWO c. Earth
d. TWT d. All of the above

9. A stage in transponder and downlink system which amplifies the 19. Geosynchronous satellites
signal and ensuring that noise is suppressed as possible a. Has the same period as that of the earth
a. Mixer b. Has a circular obit
b. Demodulator c. Rotates in the equatorial plane
c. LNA d. All of the above
d. IF amplifier
20. To cover all inhabited regions of the earth, the number of
10. A transponder is a satellite equipment which geosynchronous satellites required is
a. Receives a signal from earth station and amplifies it a. 5
b. Changes the frequency of the received signal b. 10
c. Retransmit the received signal c. 2
d. All of the above d. 3

11. Multiple repeaters in communications satellites are known as 21. A geostationary satellite is one which
a. Transponders a. Hangs motionless in space about 36,000 km above the earth
b. Detectors b. Travels around the earth about 24 hrs.
c. Modulators c. Remains stationary above the earth
d. Transceivers d. Appears stationary above the earth

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MITRC REFRESHER COURSE ANSWER KEY Satellite Communications

22. Geosynchronous Communication satellites travel around the earth 32. The use of the same frequency on the same geographical area
in circular orbits with forward speed of about __________km/hr. a. Frequency reuse
a. 100,000 b. Roaming
b. 36,000 c. Homing
c. 11,200 d. Cellular
d. 22,800
33. In selecting a satellite system, the first determining factor is
23. The period of the satellite is a. Coverage area
a. The amount of time it takes for a satellite to complete one b. EIRP
orbit c. Antenna size
b. The point on an orbit where satellite to complete one orbit d. Antenna gain
c. The time it takes the satellite to travel from perigee to apogee 34. The earth's area or region that the satellite can receive from or
d. An orbital arc that extends from 60 degrees west longitude to transmit to
145 degrees west longitude a. Footprint
b. Skip zone
24. What is the satellite's period orbiting in a circular pattern with c. Primary area
elevation of 1000 km? d. Finger print
a. 1 hr 45 mins
b. 2 hrs 45 mins 35. Satellite radiation pattern that covers 1/3 of the earth's surface
c. 2 hrs 30 mins a. Earth
d. 3 hrs b. Zonal
c. Spot
25. A satellite, orbiting in a circular orbit, d. Global
a. Has constant velocity
b. Has varying velocity 36. A satellite position is measured by its _________ angle with
c. Is not moving at all respect to the horizon.
d. Both a and b a. Elevation
b. Depression
26. What is a descending pass for a satellite? c. Azimuth
a. A pass from west to east d. Incidence
b. A pass from east to west
c. A pass from south to north 37. The _________ angle measures the satellite position clockwise
d. A pass from north to south from the direction of true North
a. Elevation
27. Satellite rotating in an orbit takes it over the north and south poles b. Depression
is in c. Azimuth
a. Inclined orbit d. Incidence
b. Polar orbit
c. Equatorial orbit 38. GPS has a total number satellites equal to
d. Declined orbit a. 12
b. 24
28. The farthest point a satellite can reach is c. 36
a. Apogee d. 48
b. Perigee
c. Altitude 39. How many elliptical orbits does Navstar GPS have?
d. Attitude a. 5
b. 6
29. Include all earth stations within line-of-sight path of a satellite c. 7
a. Satellite shadow d. 8
b. Earth shadow
c. Zonal 40. What is the free space attenuation of a satellite system operating
d. Global at 36,000 km above the earth operating at 5 GHz?
a. 180 dB
30. The different multiple accesses which permit many satellite users b. 190 dB
to operate in parallel through c. 198 dB
a. A Single Transponder Without Interfering With Each other are d. 189 dB
b. FDMA
c. TDMA 41. The FDMA technique wherein voice band channels are assigned
d. CDMA on “as needed" basis.
e. All of the above a. PAMA
b. DAMA
31. A digital technology that uses a low power signal spread across a c. SSMA
wide bandwidth. With this technology, a phone call is assigned a d. CDMA
code instead of a certain frequency. Using identifying code and a
low power signal, a large number of channels can used the entire 42. A satellite equipped with electronic devices to receive, amplify,
bandwith convert, and retransmit signals.
a. TDMA a. Passive
b. PCDMA b. Active
c. PMA c. Uplink
d. CDMA d. Downlink

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MITRC REFRESHER COURSE ANSWER KEY Satellite Communications

43. An earth station transmits signal to a satellite 38,500 km, directly

overhead it. What is the propagation delay when the signal is 53. What is the basic function of a communications satellite?
received back at the same earth station, in milliseconds? a. To act as a receiving antenna for broadcast FM
a. 257 b. To compensate for the antenna limitations
b. 200 c. To eliminate aerodynamic drag
c. 285 d. To act as a receiving antenna for broadcast AM
d. 185
54. What do you call of a satellite used to provide satellite services
44. A satellite communication link between Pinugay Earth Station, within a single country?
Philippines and Mt. Fucino Earth Station, Italy is to be established. a. Orbital satellite
If the assigned uplink frequency at Pinugay Earth Station is 6175 b. Geostationary satellite
MHz, what is the downlink frequency at Mt. Fucino Earth Station, c. Non-synchronous satellite
in MHz? d. Domestic satellite
a. 4545
b. 3950 55. A satellite beam that covers almost 42.5% of the earth's surface.
c. 3789 a. Zone beam
d. 4200 b. Hemispheric beam
c. Spot beam
45. "The orbit of any planet is an ellipse with the sun at one focus". d. Global beam
This is 56. The first Philippine satellite has how many channels?
a. Kepler's First Law a. 30
b. Kepler's Second Law b. 24
c. Kepler's Third Law c. 48
d. Law of universal Gravitation d. 50

46. When a satellite orbits in the opposite direction as the earth's 57. Aguila I has how many transponders?
rotation with an angular velocity less than that of the earth a. 36
a. Orbital b. 48
b. Prograde c. 24
c. Retrograde d. 12
d. Geostationary
58. How many satellite orbital slots were requested by the Philippine
47. The actual user information conveyed through the satellite system Government from ITU?
a. Bus transmission a. 2
b. Payload b. 4
c. Prograde c. 6
d. Retrograde d. 8

48. The spatial separation between geosynchronous satellites 59. The most common device used as an LNA is
a. 1-3 degrees a. Zener diode
b. 3-6 degrees b. Tunnel diode
c. 6-8 degrees c. IMPATT diode
d. 8-10 degrees d. Shockley diode

49. The footprint which covers a very small geographical area. 60. The radiation patterns of earth coverage antennas have a
a. Spot coverage beamwidth of approximately
b. Zonal coverage a. 21degrees
c. Earth coverage b. 5 degrees
d. Regional coverage c. 17 degrees
d. 35 degrees
50. The satellite frequency reuse method which sends different
information signals using vertical or horizontal electromagnetic 61. The main power sources for satellites are
polarization a. Batteries
a. Multiple coverage areas b. Solar cells
b. Dual polarization c. Fuel cells
c. Spatial separation d. Thermoelectric generators
d. Spread spectrum
62. What is the common up-converter and down-converter IF?
51. __________ detects the satellite signal relayed from the feed and a. 36 MHz
converts it to an electric current, amplifies and lower its frequency. b. 40 MHz
a. Feedhorn c. 70 MHz
b. Satellite dish d. 500 MHz
c. Satellite receiver
d. LNA 63. When the satellites are spaced 4 degrees of the 360 degrees
complete circle, how many parking spaces or orbit slots are
52. Satellites used for intercontinental communications are known as available?
a. Comsat a. 90
b. Domsat b. 85
c. Marisat c. 95
d. Intelsat d. 80

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MITRC REFRESHER COURSE ANSWER KEY Satellite Communications

64. The first satellite launched for a geosynchronous orbit but

unfortunately lost during orbit injection.
a. Syncom I
b. Telstar I
c. Sputnik I
d. Early Bird

65. Geostationary satellites are located _______ with respect to the

equator.
a. 0 deg longitude
b. 0 deg latitude
c. 90 deg latitude
d. 45 deg latitude

66. Incidentally proposed the geostationary scheme or orbit of

satellites in 1940's.
a. Clarke
b. Gauss
c. Morse
d. Gray

67. The control routine necessary to keep the satellite in position is

referred to as
a. Station keeping
b. Station tracking
c. Station monitoring
d. Station maintenance

68. A satellite which simply reflects the signal without further

amplification.
a. Passive
b. Active
c. Geostationary
d. Posigrade

69. What is the line joining the ascending and descending nodes
through the center of the earth?
a. Line of apsides
b. Line of nodes
c. Line of shoot
d. Line of sight

70. The line joining the perigee and apogee through the center of the
earth.
a. Line of sight
b. Line of nodes
c. Equatorial belt
d. Line of apsides