This course provides a solid theoretical basis for understanding the various aspects of satellite communication systems. Fundamentals of satellites, including: applications, orbits, propagation and link calculations, system hardware for space and ground segments, mulitplexing and multiple access techniques, network design and future trends. Fundamentals of signals and noise associated with satellite communications. Transmission concepts: calculate analogue transmission rates with respect to distortionless transmission, amplitude and delay distortions with equalisation, nonlinear distortion with companding, and carrier-to-noise ratio and signal-to-noise ratio; and calculate digital transmission rates with respect to line codes, intersymbol interference, pulse shaping and equalisation, bit energy-to-noise density and error probabilities.