Odyssey (satellite network)

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Odyssey was a planned medium-earth orbit satellite network for mobile telephony and data transmission. No Odyssey satellite was ever launched.

The firms

The Odyssey Telecommunications International consortium consisted of the US conglomerate TRW , the Canadian telecommunications company Teleglobe and ten other partners. The company was based in Redondo Beach in the USA.

In January 1995 Odyssey received the FCC license for satellite broadcasting. The planned satellite network was in direct competition with the established provider Inmarsat , as well as with other planned networks such as Iridium , Globalstar , ICO and Ellipso .

The network

The network should consist of twelve active satellites, which should orbit the earth in three orbit levels at an altitude of 10,350 km with an orbit inclination of 50 °. Each satellite should illuminate 37 cells with a diameter of 1100 km each. The diagram of the 1.6 m parabolic antenna was static, so the satellite had to rotate accordingly in orbit in order to keep the coverage area constant. However, it was planned that the power should be distributed differently between the cells. The transmission frequency should be 2.4 GHz.

Theoretical coverage of Odyssey

Optimal network coverage could be achieved through the choice of satellite orbits. Theoretically, communication with Odyssey would be possible at any time from any location on the earth's surface if there is a clear view of the sky in all directions from an elevation angle of 21 °. Even telephoning from deep ravines or mountain valleys would be possible with Odyssey, which is practically impossible with today's satellite telephone systems (e.g. Iridium, Globalstar). Odyssey would also enable communication in the polar regions. The two polar caps would be covered by the relatively high satellite orbits.

In addition to the twelve active satellites, two more should be kept ready on the ground as reserve copies. The weight was assumed to be 1200 kg. The energy supply should be provided by solar cells with an output of 4600 W.

The handheld devices should transmit at 0.5 W at 1.6 GHz. CDMA was planned as the transmission method. Prototypes of the handheld devices were to be made by Mitsubishi Electric and Nortel . Voice transmission should be digital with a data rate of 4.8 kbit / s. The connection between the satellite and the ground station should be in the Ka-band (27–40 GHz). Seven ground stations, each with four 5 m parabolic antennas, were planned to transfer the calls to the public telephone network.

Development, funding and recruitment

The first plans in 1995 were based on an investment volume of 3.4 billion US dollars, with 15 satellites planned in the MEO and four in geosynchronous orbit.

In January 1996, Odyssey awarded TRW a $ 2.28 billion contract to build 14 satellites and seven ground stations. TRW should set up and operate the network and take responsibility for the development of the handheld devices. The start of the network was planned for 1998 with six satellites and for 1999 with the complete network.

However, the Odyssey company ran into financial difficulties, and there were also patent problems with its competitor ICO. In 1998 the company was dissolved and TRW became involved in ICO.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Odyssey in the Encyclopedia Astronautica , accessed on January 5, 2010 (English).
  2. ^ TRW, Odyssey Telecommunications sign letter of intent with Mitsubishi Electric to develop prototype Odyssey phone terminal . Business Wire, March 20, 1996.
  3. ↑ TRW inks agreement with Northern Telecom Inc. for development of prototype Odyssey phone terminal. March 6, 1996
  4. ↑ Press Briefing Highlights. Odyssey Telecommunications International, archived from the original on March 23, 2018 ; accessed on January 5, 2010 (English).