Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
AWS Ground Station
3.
Features of AWS Ground Station
4.
Benefits
5.
Frequently Asked Questions
5.1.
What is AWS Ground Station?
5.2.
Is AWS Ground Station helpful in fast data downloading?
5.3.
Can we directly access AWS services via AWS ground station?
6.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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AWS Ground Station

Author Aditi
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Introduction

AWS Ground Station is a managed service that allows you to control satellite communications, connect and process satellite data, and measure your satellite performance quickly, easily, and efficiently without worrying about building or managing your channel infrastructure. Satellites are used for various applications, including weather forecasting, photography, communication, and video streaming. Ground stations are the backbone of global satellite networks, providing ground-to-satellite communications with data receipts and control systems to command and control satellites. Today, you either have to build your low-cost channels and horns, or find long-term rental housing with low-end service providers, often in many countries, to provide adequate satellite communications as they travel around the world. Once all of this data has been downloaded, you need servers, storage, and a network near the sticks to process, store, and move data to satellites.

AWS Ground Station

AWS Ground Station eliminates these problems by bringing a global Ground Station as a service. It provides direct access to AWS services and AWS Global Infrastructure. This allows you to easily control satellite communications, import and process your satellite data, and integrate that data with your applications and other applications running on AWS Cloud. For example, Amazon S3 can be used to store downloaded data, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams to control satellite data import, SageMaker to build custom machine learning applications running on your data sets, and Amazon EC2 to order and download data on satellites. The AWS Ground Channel can help you save up to 80% on your sub-channel operating costs by allowing you to pay only for the actual batch you used. Instead of building and using your underground channel infrastructure, they rely on our global focus on smaller channels to download data anytime and anywhere. There are no long-term commitments, and you gain the ability to measure your satellite communications if your business needs it quickly.

Features of AWS Ground Station

AWS Ground Station allows you to manage and import data from orbiting satellites without purchasing or building infrastructural satellite infrastructure. AWS Ground Station integrates substation materials such as horns, digitizers, and modems into our AWS regions worldwide.

  • Set up satellites and download data using AWS services.
    The AWS Ground Station console can identify the satellites you need to connect with and schedule "Contacts" via satellite. Each Contact contains the selected satellite, start and end time, and location. After editing Contacts, you can turn on Amazon EC2 settings to use each Contacts section. During the link, the EC2 event will be connected to the AWS Ground Station antenna gate over an elastic network interface (ENI) connection to the existing Amazon VPC.
     
  • Entirely operated underground station network integrated with AWS Global Infrastructure
    AWS Ground Station antennas are located within the entirely operated AWS substation areas. They are connected to Amazon's low-latency, the highly reliable, secure, and secure global network backbone. Data downlinked and stored in one AWS Region can be sent to other AWS regions via a worldwide network to continue operating.
     
  • Graphical AWS Ground Station console
    AWS Ground Station offers an easy-to-use graphical console that allows you to save contacts and antenna time for your satellite connection. You can update, cancel, and reschedule contact booking up to 15 minutes before set times.
     
  • Direct access to AWS services
    AWS Ground Station gives our satellite poles direct access to AWS services for faster, easier, and less expensive storage and downloads. It allows you to reduce data processing and analysis times in usage situations. It also allows you to create business rules and workflows to plan, edit quickly, and transmit satellite data before being analyzed and integrated into essential programs. 
     
  • Support standard satellites and communication waves
    You can connect any satellite to Low Earth orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth orbit (MEO) operating on X-band and S-band frequencies, including S-band uplink and downlink, X-band narrowband and -wideband downlink.
     
  • Price per minute
    AWS Ground Station arranges access to antennas per minute and pays for the scheduled time only. You can access any antenna in the sub-network network, and there are no long-term obligations.

Benefits

There are various benefits of using Amazon ground station, and some of them are as below:-

  • AWS Ground Station provides a global network of sub-stations adjacent to our global network of regional AWS infrastructure. With AWS Ground Station, you no longer have to worry about buying, renting, building, measuring, or managing your satellite channels.
     
  • It provides you with reliable security. As an AWS customer, you will benefit from the location and network infrastructure built to meet the security needs of organizations. AWS Ground Station offers premium data security and physical security at no additional cost.
     
  • With AWS Ground Station, you only pay for the real-time antenna you use. There are no long-term contracts or hidden fees. You can use any antenna in the AWS Ground Station network for one price.
     
  • It allows fast data download. With multiple antennas in each AWS Ground Station location, you can link your satellite data directly to the AWS area for immediate processing. Our Ground Station editing interface lets you get your data when you need it without scheduling delays or antenna collisions.
     
  • It helps process data quickly. AWS Ground Station provides satellite poles near AWS infrastructure regions, giving you low latency and affordable access to AWS services to store and process your data. This allows you to reduce data processing and analysis times in usage situations from hours to minutes or seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AWS Ground Station?

AWS Ground Station is a service that allows you to control satellite communications, connect and process satellite data, and measure satellite performance quickly without worrying about building or managing your channel infrastructure.

Is AWS Ground Station helpful in fast data downloading?

AWS Ground Station allows fast data download. With multiple antennas in each AWS Ground Station location, you can link your satellite data directly to the AWS area for immediate processing.

Can we directly access AWS services via AWS ground station?

AWS Ground Station gives our satellite poles direct access to AWS services for faster, easier, and less expensive storage and downloads. This allows you to reduce data processing and analysis times in usage situations.

Conclusion

In this article, we have extensively discussed the AWS ground station, its features, and its benefits.

We hope this blog has helped you enhance your knowledge regarding the AWS Ground Station. Some official documentation on big data that can help you improve your understanding is AWS Ground station and Amazon ground station features. If you would like to learn more, check out our articles on AWS vs. GCPcloud platform comparison, and 10 AWS best books

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