Meteor burst in the post 2000 era

Abstract

In recent years a renewed interest has been shown in the possibility of using meteor burst links in tactical communications, both for networking and covert operations. Some of the applications that recent performance improvements would permit are evaluated. In evaluating the feasibility of a meteor burst implementation, certain technical and physical limitations are addressed. For the success of these applications, interoperability with other communication systems is necessary. The level of interoperability with other media, and the standards necessary to assure this interoperability are examined. Methods of minimizing and combating jamming are proposed. Meteor burst systems can be used in a large number of applications within a tactical environment. The principal disadvantage of the meteor burst medium is the problem of interference to other spectrum users from the probe end, and the interference from other users at the receiver end. The low throughput characteristic of meteor burst compares with some of the channel capacities used in other systems. Interoperability with other networks or communications links is relatively easy if certain straightforward protocols and standards are established. >