How are satellite data captured?

Images, weather signals and television broadcasts are just some of the satellite data captured.

While satellites are very dependent on the type of orbit in which they are, not all share the same functions. But how do satellites capture the required data? First, it is important to know that these devices generate data while traveling in orbit and use radio waves in order to communicate with the ground station.

Satellites must be equipped with a modulator (to fine tune the data and translate it into radio waves) and a demodulator. On the other hand, not all satellites process the same information; geostationary satellites help in the control and prediction of climate as well as environmental events, which include floods, tornadoes, tropical systems, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. In recent years, prevention measures have been developed to act in the face of disasters of high magnitude, nature overcomes prevention and human capacity where these accidents cannot be controlled. Satellite connectivity solutions in natural disasters are an effective tool of our era for cases where nature is inclement.

On the other hand, polar orbit satellites are responsible for collecting environmental monitoring data, climate, sea temperatures, atmospheric humidity, precipitation, vegetation analysis and even search and rescue. At AXESS, as a leading company in the satellite and telecommunications sector, we have services focused on the sectors such as Oil and Gas, Mining, Energy, Infrastructure, Banking, Commerce, Agribusiness and Fisheries where they customize systems according to the requirements of each market, as well as business, mobility, contingency (back-up) solutions and more solid backhaul solutions for cellular operators.

Within a satellite data collection system, there are different parameters to take into account, amongst which are the temperature and pressure that are some variables detected in the platform. The data is encoded, formatted and transmitted to the processing facilities through a satellite communications link.

In its operation, the data is transmitted from the remote platforms to a satellite randomly or by means of an interrogation command. About the data, these are stored either on board the satellite for reading at a central receiving site or can be transmitted directly to a control processing facility and even to a local regional user terminal. When the data is received on the field, the information is formatted and made available to users. On the other hand, in the case of the location of the position, the coordinates are calculated and communicated to the user along with the sensory information collected. One of the main characteristics of satellite data capture is its high cost, since satellites are capable of generating several gigabytes of data per orbit. (See satellite phone).