Towards Enabling 5G-NTN Satellite Communications for Manned and Unmanned Rotary Wing Aircraft

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the performance of 5G-NTN satellite communications for rotary wing aircraft, addressing unique challenges and providing simulation results to support future development in this emerging field.

Contribution

It presents an end-to-end analysis of 5G-NTN SatCom for rotary wing aircraft, including scenario examination, effects of blades, and simulation results, which are novel in this context.

Findings

Blade interference impacts SatCom performance

Simulation results identify key requirements for RWA connectivity

Future development directions are proposed

Abstract

Satellite Communications (SatCom) are a backbone of worldwide development. In contrast with the past, when the GEO satellites were the only means for such connectivity, nowadays the multi-orbital connectivity is emerging, especially with the use of satellite constellations. Simultaneously, SatCom enabled the so-called In-Flight Connectivity, while with the advent of 5G-NTN, the development of this market is being accelerated. However, there are still various missing points before such a technology becomes mainstream, especially in the case of Rotary Wing Aircraft (RWA). Indeed, due to their particular characteristics, such as the low altitude flights and the blade interference, there are still open challenges. In this work, an End-to-End (E2E) analysis for the performance of SatCom under 5G-NTN for manned and unmanned RWA is performed. Various scenarios are examined, and related requirements are shown. The effects of blades and other characteristics of the RWA are established, and simulations for these cases are developed. Results along with related discussion are presented, while future directions for development are suggested. This work is part of the ESA ACROSS-AIR project.