Introduction to Satellite Communications (Coursera)

Introduction to Satellite Communications (Coursera)

How is a satellite built? How do they fly? How do they communicate and how does the network operate? You will get all the answers in this course from teachers and researchers from three schools associated with Institut Mines-Télécom. The course is made of : teaching videos, equipment demonstrations and simulation programs. They will guide you through the discovery of satellite communications. Professionals in the space field will share there vocation for this scientific and technical sector.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Have you ever wanted to know more about transponders, the geostationary orbit, QPSK modulation, channel coding, link budget, TCP over large bandwdith x delay product links ?
This course is for you! This course is available in English: French-speaking lecturers with English subtitles and fully translated contents (slides, practices). This MOOC is supported by the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Satellites at our service
This module provides an introduction to satellite communications. Why using satellites ? What sort of communication services ? How much does it cost ?

WEEK 2
Satellite and communications
This module describes the overall architecture of a satellite communications system, discusses the concept of orbit and what are the typical sub-systems of a satellite

WEEK 3
Digital communications
This module discusses the basics of information transmission

WEEK 4
Communication techniques
This module covers advanced transmission concepts such as modulation and coding. These operations are the core of a communications system impacting the service performance.

WEEK 5
Hardware and equipments
This module lists the equipments that take part to the communication chain on ground and how the overall communication performance can be assessed

WEEK 6
Networking and services
This module explains how services such as voice, television and Internet access are provided by means of communications satellites.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Kinematics: Describing the Motions of Spacecraft (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Kinematics: Describing the Motions of Spacecraft (Coursera)

The movement of bodies in space (like spacecraft, satellites, and space stations) must be predicted and controlled with precision in order to ensure safety and efficacy. Kinematics is a field that develops descriptions and predictions of the motion of these bodies in 3D space. This course in Kinematics covers four major topic areas: an introduction to particle kinematics, a deep dive into rigid body kinematics in two parts (starting with classic descriptions of motion using the directional cosine matrix and Euler angles, and concluding with a review of modern descriptors like quaternions and Classical and Modified Rodrigues parameters).

May 18th 2026
4 Weeks
Fundamentals of particle accelerator technology (NPAP MOOC) (Coursera) Coursera
Lund University

Fundamentals of particle accelerator technology (NPAP MOOC) (Coursera)

Did you know that particle accelerators play an important role in many functions of todays society and that there are over 30 000 accelerators in operation worldwide? A few examples are accelerators for radiotherapy which are the largest application of accelerators, altogether with more than 11000 accelerators worldwide. These accelerators range from very compact electron linear accelerators with a length of only about 1 m to large carbon ion synchrotrons with a circumference of more than 50 m and a huge rotating carbon ion gantry with a weight of 600 tons!

May 18th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Haptics: Introduction to Haptics (Stanford Online) Lagunita Stanford Online
Stanford University

Haptics: Introduction to Haptics (Stanford Online)

Participants in this class will learn how to build, program, and control haptic devices, which are mechatronic devices that allow users to feel virtual or remote environments. In the process, participants will gain an appreciation for the capabilities and limitations of human touch, develop an intuitive connection between equations that describe physical interactions and how they feel, and gain practical interdisciplinary engineering skills related to robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, bioengineering, and computer science.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Microwave engineering and antennas (Coursera) Coursera
Eindhoven University of Technology

Microwave engineering and antennas (Coursera)

This unique Master-level course provides you with in-depth know-how of microwave engineering and antennas. The course combines both passive and active microwave circuits as well as antenna systems. Future applications, like millimeter-wave 5G/beyond-5G wireless communications or automotive radar, require experts that can co-design highly integrated antenna systems that include both antennas and microwave electronics. We will provide you with the required theoretical foundation as well as hands-on experience using state-of-the-art design tools. The web lectures are supported by many on-line quizzes in which you can practice the background theory.

May 11th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Digital Signal Processing 1: Basic Concepts and Algorithms (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Digital Signal Processing 1: Basic Concepts and Algorithms (Coursera)

Digital Signal Processing is the branch of engineering that, in the space of just a few decades, has enabled unprecedented levels of interpersonal communication and of on-demand entertainment. By reworking the principles of electronics, telecommunication and computer science into a unifying paradigm, DSP is a the heart of the digital revolution that brought us CDs, DVDs, MP3 players, mobile phones and countless other devices.

May 25th 2026
4 Weeks
Analyzing the Universe (Coursera) Coursera
Rutgers University

Analyzing the Universe (Coursera)

Using publicly available data from NASA of actual satellite observations of astronomical x-ray sources, we explore some of the mysteries of the cosmos, including neutron stars, black holes, quasars and supernovae. We will analyze energy spectra and time series data to understand how these incredible objects work. We utilize an imaging tool called DS9 to explore the amazing diversity of astronomical observations that have made x-ray astronomy one of the most active and exciting fields of scientific investigation in the past 50 years.

May 11th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Outsmarting intermittency (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

Outsmarting intermittency (Coursera)

Solar and wind offer clean and renewable ways to produce large amounts of electricity. They have boomed over the last few years, evolving from an eco-daydream to a major market and showing unprecedented growth rates. Yet, installing solar panels and wind turbines is by no means the end of the story. The electrical grid, which connects production means to the end-users’ sockets, is not a simple electron pipe. It is the beating heart of our electricity system and ensures its stability. Solar and wind raise specific challenges for the grid, and these challenges will have to be tackled if we want to deploy larger amounts of renewable sources.

May 11th 2026
4 Weeks
Physics 102 - AC Circuits and Maxwell's Equations (Coursera) Coursera
Rice University

Physics 102 - AC Circuits and Maxwell's Equations (Coursera)

This course serves as an introduction to the physics of electricity and magnetism. Upon completion, learners will have an understanding of how the forces between electric charges are described by fields, and how these fields are related to electrical circuits. They will gain experience in solving physics problems with tools such as graphical analysis, algebra, vector analysis, and calculus. The course follows the typical progression of topics of a first-semester university physics course: charges, electric forces, electric fields potential, magnetic fields, currents, magnetic moments, electromagnetic induction, and circuits.

May 25th 2026
3 Weeks
Rocket Science in Everyday Life (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Rocket Science in Everyday Life (Coursera)

We encounter the results of rocket science all the time; from weather prediction to GPS navigation, rocket science has helped navigate our world in new, innovative ways. Rocket Science in Everyday Life explores innovations in rocket science, including the formation of space agencies, like NASA and the European Space Agency, that work to advance rocket science. Learn how satellites are used to track climate changes across the globe and how rockets have taken us to worlds beyond our own.

Jun 1st 2026
4 Weeks
Digitalisation in Space Research (Coursera) Coursera
Technische Universität München - TUM

Digitalisation in Space Research (Coursera)

This course provides an overview of the most important digital applications in the field of aerospace research. The course instructors discuss how digitalisation is impacting and changing both satellite-based and manned spaceflight research. One unit is specifically devoted to exploring the use of artificial intelligence in the evaluation of satellite data.

Jun 1st 2026
3 Weeks