An Integrated Satellite Based Asset Management System

This paper describes the essential segments of a satellite based communication and asset management system. The Low Earth Orbit satellite used for such a system is the ORBCOMM low earth orbit (LEO) constellation. The architecture and network structure of the satellite system is described. The satellites themselves are very small and are launched using the Pegasus launch vehicle. This makes the satellites very cost effective. The ground infrastructure for satellite control and messaging is also described. The end to end connectivity using a packet based communication system is explained. The architecture of the mobile subscriber terminal is described. The subscriber terminal for this LEO system is capable of position determination and sensor monitoring and control. The position determination in this terminal is done by using satellite ephemeris data along with the Doppler shift observed during a satellite pass.