What exactly is a satellite bus?
“A satellite consists of two major elements,” Dr Sampath explains. “One is the payload, which in the case of communication satellites will be transponders. “To support the payload may be required some amount of power, generated through solar panels, batteries and so on. There will be a thermal control system and a structure on which all this is mounted. “Then, there will be a professional system that carries the satellite from the GTO to the GO (two different kinds of orbit), and maintains it in orbit. Then, there will be spacecraft electronics, and control sensors and actuators. All this, which is other than the payload is called bus. “Once we standardise the platform, we can manufacture it as a production line, and build the elements of the payload as the customer wants: one satellite may be all KU Band, one may be all C Band and so on. “Every time you change the bus, you end up developing new items. This causes problems of both the element of uncertainty as well as the cost of a new
