End-to-End Simulations of Coded Transmissions in Space Links Affected by Solar Scintillation

In this article, coded space communication links impaired by solar scintillation are investigated followed by a comprehensive end-to-end approach. With respect to baseband analyses, this allows for a more realistic modeling of actual communication links in these scenarios, though at the cost of longer simulation times and higher minimum values of the error rates assessable. The effect of solar scintillation on both signal amplitude and phase is studied, by considering the potential use of noncoherent demodulation to withstand phase synchronization impairments. This article allows optimizing some receiver parameters, such as the phase-locked loop bandwidth, in a way to face critical contingency scenarios as well.