The Ka/Q-band Alphasat Ground propagation terminal — First months of operation

In order to study propagation effects for future satellite communication frequencies the Alphasat Aldo Paraboni (TDP 5) payload includes two beacon transmitters at Ka-band (19.701 GHz) as well at Q-band (39.402 GHz). Under an ESA contract a Ground Propagation Terminal was developed to measure the co- and the cross polar signals of both frequencies with one antenna and thus with the very same slant path geometry. Since the beginning of October 2013 propagation measurements with the ground terminal are carried out in Graz, Austria. The measurement site hosts a variety of ancillary equipment to measure and document the weather- and the atmospheric situation. This paper looks on specific weather events and situations during the first months of measurement and on the corresponding measured signal behavior. By doing that, challenges and fields of improvements are addressed on the way to meaningful long term Ka/Q-band propagation statistics, which will be used for developing and testing of channel models.