SWF Releases New Fact Sheet on Radio Frequency Spectrum and Satellites

Monday, June 17, 2013

Secure World Foundation has released a new fact sheet entitled "Radio Frequency Spectrum, Interference and Satellites". The fact sheet provides an overview of the major technical, policy, legal, and security issues surrounding radio frequency (RF) spectrum and satellites.

Nearly every satellite uses some portion of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum to communicate with the ground or other satellites. As the RF spectrum is a limited natural resource, the increase in the number of terrestrial and space users leads to RF congestion that could result in unintentional radio frequency interference (RFI). Natural events such as space weather can also create RFI, as can intentional activities such as jamming. Management of the RF spectrum is a complicated policy issue, with various entities at the national and international level providing oversight and coordination. With a growing number of space actors and reliance on space, RFI is a significant challenge for ensuring space sustainability and security.

The fact sheet can be downloaded here.