Space Simultaneous Information and Power Transfer: An Enhanced Technology for Miniaturized Satellite Systems

Abstract

In recent years, many companies have entered the space field by successfully employing miniaturized satellites to provide numerous kinds of services to the public or governmental sectors. This is because miniaturized satellites exhibit inherent advantages, such as easy manufacturing and low launching cost. However, their use is limited by their limited on-board power. In this study, novel space simultaneous-information and power-transfer (SSIPT) schemes are presented to overcome this limitation, which can efficiently extend the lifetime of miniaturized satellites and to further reduce their manufacturing and launching costs. Two types of transceivers for SSIPT-miniaturized satellites are initially introduced for the proposed SSIPT schemes. Subsequently, several designs of SSIPT-miniaturized satellite systems are presented and discussed. Some numerical results are also presented to confirm the advantages of SSIPT. Finally, the challenges and future directions are outlined and investigated.