An overview of CODE: the CODE VSAT network

The cooperative Olympus Data Experiment (CODE) is an experimental VSAT network which forms part of the Olympus Utilisation Programme. The central facilities and basic infrastructure are being organised by the European Space Agency. The VSAT terminals will be provided by various user organisations to their own designs. The overall design of the system is being established by an international team of engineers drawn from universities and technical establishments. The use of the 30/20 GHz for VSAT networks is of particular interest since although it permits the use of small stations, the network, nevertheless, has to cope with severe fading. The paper describes the system design and the application aspects of the experiment. The applicable hardware is also described in outline