Transmitting and controlling images from small satellites using MPEG image compression

Don K. LeFevre; Mark Heiberger

doi:10.1117/12.156642

16 September 1993 Transmitting and controlling images from small satellites using MPEG image compression

Don K. LeFevre, Mark Heiberger

Proceedings Volume 1940, Small Satellite Technology and Applications III; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.156642
Event: Optical Engineering and Photonics in Aerospace Sensing, 1993, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The limited data rate of low-power small satellites often requires that images be data- compressed before transmission. Several data compression techniques are currently being developed and improved. These methods include: vector quantization (VQ), Lempel-Ziv, fractal encoding, and discrete-cosine transform (DCT) methods such as JPEG and MPEG. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a still-image compression system. MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) is a compression and communications protocol which defines a syntax for transmitting several data types, including audio, user-data, and full-motion compressed video. MPEG allows `tolerable' NTSC full-motion video transmission at data rates as low as 1.2 Mbps, and video-conference-quality transmission at rates as low as 56 Kbps. However, since the MPEG standard includes JPEG as a subset, it allows the transmission of compressed still images as well.

Citation Download Citation

Don K. LeFevre and Mark Heiberger "Transmitting and controlling images from small satellites using MPEG image compression", Proc. SPIE 1940, Small Satellite Technology and Applications III, (16 September 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.156642

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