Source encoding for orbiter communications links

The feasibility of using data compression to improve link efficiency as an alternative to increased transmitter power, reducing receiver noise figures, increasing antenna gain through more stringent orbiter attitude constraints, etc. is studied. A method of encoding digital data is developed which permits low band-width encoding as well as a unique system of adaptive run length encoding. The effectiveness of these techniques for the air-to-ground link and for the bandwidth-limited ground-to-ground data link used for the orbiter downlink data is evaluated. Results are presented.