Components of a Satellite

There are 3 major components in a satellite, they are :

(i)Transponder and antenna system- The transponder is a high – frequency radio receiver, a frequency down-converter and a power amplifier, which is used to transmit the downlink signal. The antenna system contains the antennas and the mechanism to position them correctly. Once properly in place, they will generally function trouble-free fro the life of the satellite.

(ii) Power Package- It is a power supply to the satellite. The satellite must be powered either from a battery or a solar energy system. In case of communications satellites in the Clarke orbit, a combination of battery power and solar energy is used. A solar cell system supplies the power to run the electronics and change the batteries during the sunlight cycle and battery furnishes the energy during the eclipse.

(iii) Control and information system & rocket thruster system - The control and information system and the rocket thruster system are called the station keeping system. The function of the station keeping system is to keep the satellite in the correct orbit with the antennas pointed in the exact direction desired.