Predicting ionospheric scintillation for satellite communications

To demonstrate the usefulness of predicting which communication links have a high probability of fading, an ionospheric scintillation prediction model and display were developed for the command-post modem processor (CPM/P). To make the prediction technique more accessible and affordable, the equations from the CPM/P model were incorporated in a LOTUS 1-2-3 spreadsheet so that the predictions could be made using a commercially available desktop computer instead of the CPM/P equipment. Using this information, the operator can improve the message throughput of a UHF satellite communications system