Analysis of Channel Characteristics Between Satellite and Space Station in Terahertz Band Based on Ray Tracing

Abstract A time‐varying multi‐ray channel model suitable for inter‐satellite link simulation and performance evaluation is proposed aiming at the characteristics of the space communication environment. This model analyzes the propagation process and multi‐dimensional characteristics of the terahertz (THz) waves between the satellite and the space station. The receiving environment of the space station is constantly changing due to the rotation of the station's solar panels with the sun and the relative motion between the station and the satellite. To predict critical multipath events for a specific communication configuration, the method of ray tracing, which is combined with the consistent orbiting theory and geometric orbital theory, is used to analyze the channel characteristics of different inter‐satellite links at the THz band (220 GHz). The research content includes the path loss model, the multipath statistics, the small scale fading and some other related channel characteristics. The space THz multi‐dimensional time domain, space domain, and frequency domain characteristics are obtained by studying the structural characteristics of the space station and space environment, the law of position change between the space station and the satellite, and the relative motion between the satellite and the space station. The study on the characteristics of the THz time‐varying channel provides a reference for the prediction and planning of THz wave propagation in future inter‐satellite links.