Telecommunication spaceborne payload data handling architectures

The goal of this paper is to give an overview of the different candidate on-board payload data handling architectures which are used or under development for telecommunication satellites in Alcatel-Espace. For many years, Alcatel-Espace has developed payload equipments for various telecommunication satellites and services. Depending on the mission of the telecommunication system, the on-board management of these equipments could be very different and involves various on-board data handling architectures. Another important factor in the dimensionning of the onboard management function is the increasing complexity of telecommunication payloads. For example, use of active antennas or regenerative transponders lead to define more complex data handling architectures with high real-time constraints and huge data flows management. Four types of payload data handling architectures are considered in relation with these telecommunication missions : 1. Transparent payload on geosynchorous satellite which is the most "classical" 2. New generation communication payload on geosynchronous satellite (with e.g. either regenerative transponder or active antennas) 3. Store and forward communication payload on low earth orbit satellite constellation 4. Communication payload on low earth orbit satellite constellation.