RF Bands overview

RA allows antennas to use different radio frequency bands. These different bands have different properties, which makes them useful for different applications.

VHF: VHF is a starting tech, and defined as 150 MHz. This band has enough range to be used out to the moon, but not much beyond. The low frequency means only a small amount of data can be transmitted, and only omni antennas can be effectively used. VHF at tech level one can be expected to get ~13 bits/s, and at max tech level 6.3 kb/s.

UHF: UHF is a starting tech, and defined as 430 MHz. This band is similar to VHF, but has a slightly shorter range. The higher frequency means larger amounts of data can be transmitted. UHF at tech level one can be expected to get ~50 bits/s, and at max tech level 25 kb/s

RF Bands beyond this frequency are only received by the 3 DSN stations. Communications may be intermittent in low orbit

S-Band: S-band is defined as 2.25 GHz. Radio waves travel very well at this band, and S-band antennas can be expected to have the longest range. The high frequency allows for moderate bitrates. S-band at tech level one can be expected to get ~330 bits/s, and at max tech level 330 kb/s

X-Band: X-band is unlocked at tech level 7, and is defined as 8.45 GHz. Radio waves travel well at this band, and X-band antennas have the second best range. The high frequency allows for good bitrates. X-band can achieve a maximum bitrate of 1.36 Mb/s. X-band is typically used for modern deep space probes because of it's good mix of range and bitrate.

Ka-Band: Ka-band is unlocked at tech level 9, and is defined as 32 GHz. Radio waves do not travel well at this band. The very high frequency allows for very good bitrates. Ka-band can achieve a maximum bitrate of 20 Mb/s. Ka-Band is typically used for modern communications satellites.