On which bands do satellite frequencies travel on?

In recent years, satellite technology has evolved, leading satellites to use continuously more powerful satellite frequencies that avoid dispersion.

There are, in fact, numerous frequency bands for satellites that, in addition to being used for radio communications, are also used in the field of astronomy, weather forecasting, mapping, data transmission, and many other applications.

Between the frequency elevation and its amplitude, there is a directly proportional link. The higher the frequency band, the wider the bandwidth. However, they are more prone to signal degradation due to the absorption of radio signals by atmospheric agents such as rain, snow, or ice.

What bands are used to transmit satellite frequencies?

Find below, a list with a quick description of the various bands on which satellite frequencies travel on and also their purpose:

• L Band (1 to 2 GHz): This band is used for satellite cell phones, and especially for the system we know as GPS.
• S-Band (2 to 4 GHz): it is used for weather radar and ship radar. NASA also uses this band for communications with the ISS or Space Shuttles.
• C Band (4 to 8 GHz): used for satellite communications for satellite TV networks, especially in areas subject to tropical rainfall (since it is less susceptible to rainfall than the Ku Band).
• X-band (8 to 12 GHz): this band is mainly used in the military sector, for the ordinary operation of radars, continuous-wave, pulsed, single-polarization, double polarization, synthetic aperture and phased array radars. Sub-bands are used for military use for weather monitoring, air and sea traffic control, defense monitoring, and vehicle speed detection.
• Ku band (12 to 18 GHz): used for satellite communications.
• Ka band (26 to 40 GHz): used for high-resolution close-in targeting radar for military aircraft.

Source: http://www.esa.int