Persistent Military Satellite Communications Coverage Using A CubeSat Constellation

This thesis describes the approach to designing a Low Earth Orbit CubeSat constellation capable of nearly constant coverage. The software package Satellite Tool Kit is used to create simulated multi-satellite systems that maintain a communication link between Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales and tactically chosen locations in the United States of America. The research will attempt to find the constellation capable of maintaining a set of design parameters (such as signal to noise ratio and altitude), with the minimum possible number of CubeSats. The downlink location, antenna design and the orbital planes are the negotiable parameters in the system, with little to no set constraints, and thus will be altered until the most favorable system is successfully designed. ii