Q-band: The next frontier

Q-band: The next frontier 

With stretched Ka-band capacity and explosive low-Earth orbit (LEO) growth, it’s not surprising that eyes are turning toward Q-band.  Operating in the 33 – 50 GHz range, Q-band is the next available band and is now being explored for a variety of broadband applications. One of the most immediate needs is the connection between LEO satellites and ground stations on Earth.

Today, there are approximately 11,833 active satellites orbiting the planet, 84% of which are LEO. (There might be more by the time you read this blog.) Each of these satellites has a much smaller footprint than geostationary (GEO) satellites, typically only a few hundred kilometers.  And unlike GEOs that occupy a fixed position relative to the Earth, they move through gateway coverage zones quickly, with contact time of fifteen minutes or less over a location. Consequently, they require many more gateways to connect the satellite network to the terrestrial internet.

Each of these gateways requires very high-capacity feeder links – the critical connections between satellites and ground stations that carry high-speed data to and from the internet. Today, Q-band is an excellent choice for feeder links as it offers wider bandwidth and more data capacity than Ka-band. It’s also relatively unused and less congested – and with less interference, you can achieve cleaner, faster connections.

Q-band challenges: Rain fade

With much more available bandwidth, Q-band offers obvious advantages. However, on the downside, it is far more susceptible to weather interference than lower frequency bands. By comparison, C Band – the original satellite workhorse – is virtually unaffected by falling rain. But at higher frequencies, the risk of rain fade – signal degradation or loss due to rain, snow or ice – increases.

The Q-band low noise amplifier (LNA )

The Q-band LNA plays a key role in the feeder link system – amplifying very weak signals from the satellite to the gateway, without adding too much noise.  Due to rain fade challenges, quality is particularly important in Q-band, where precision and noise control are critical.

Orbital Research has chosen to focus on the LNA as its first Q-band product, given the urgent need for feeder links. Designed primarily for satellite teleports and gateways, this wideband amplifier offers exceptional performance and data throughput: high gain and low noise figure, < 2.5 dB for excellent signal.

The Orbital Q-band LNA has been designed with an isolator, presenting a better match to the antenna. This means less loss between the antenna and amplifier, resulting in better gain-to-noise-temperature ratio (G/T), which in turn delivers better carrier-to-noise ratio – and a lower bit error rate compared to the same LNA without an isolator. It also has a high OIP3 (output third-order intercept point), able to avoid distortion when confronted with multiple strong signals at once.

Orbital is currently working with customers to demo and test the product. “We’ve already seen a lot of interest in this LNA,” says Orbital CEO Ian McEachern. “We’re excited about the opportunities for innovation that lie ahead.”

Currently in final stages of testing, the Orbital Q-band LNA is expected to be ready for production by June 2025.

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