Space Systems/loral, LLC

Other

Douglas Burr

John Walker

Walter S Gelon

Rolando Menendez

Gilles Dubellay

Andrew E Turner

Terry M Smith

Seyed Tabatabaei

Peter S Simon

James J Sowers

George Hardie

William D Nations

Chris Hoeber

Troy Ellington

William Stiles

Peter Edward Goettle, Jr

Kathy Shockey

Described herein is a satellite communications system that includes: two or more satellites using laser communications, and a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds. The communications relay aircraft includes: a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication and a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications. The RF communications module is configured to take data received as laser communication and generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the data. The laser communications module is configured to take data received as RF communication and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the data.

Adaptive communication system

A spacecraft includes an antenna reflector coupled with an antenna pointing mechanism (APM), a beam forming network including variable amplitude and phase (VAP) adjusting arrangements, a tracking feed that receives a beacon signal by way of the reflector, and an autotrack receiver that measures pointing errors of the reflector from the received beacon signal and outputs corresponding pointing errors to the APM controller and to a VAP element controller. The antenna reflector is illuminated by radiating feed elements configured as a phased array that produces, in a far field of the reflector, a set of user beams. The APM controller causes the APM to adjust the reflector pointing, at a frequency less than f, to reduce the measured pointing errors. The VAP element controller adjusts pointing of the user beams by adjusting beam forming coefficients of the VAP adjusting arrangements at a second frequency greater than f.

Pointing system improvement with imaging array feeds

A spacecraft includes a payload subsystem including a plurality of transmit antenna feeds, a digital channelizer, and a power amplification arrangement including a plurality of power amplifiers. The power amplification arrangement has at least one input communicatively coupled with an output of the digital channelizer and at least one output communicatively coupled with at least one of the plurality of transmit antenna feeds. A processor is configured to control the digital channelizer, and to adjust a saturated output power of at least one power amplifier of the plurality of power amplifiers in the power amplification arrangement.

Digital payload with variable high power amplifiers

An imaging array fed reflector for a spacecraft is included in a spacecraft payload subsystem. The payload subsystem includes a multi-beam antenna including a reflector, a plurality of amplifiers, and a plurality of radiating feed elements, the feed elements configured as a phased array, illuminating the reflector, operable at a frequency having a characteristic wavelength (&#x3bb;), and configured to produce, in a far field at the reflector, a set of contiguous abutting beams. The amplifiers are disposed proximate to the plurality of radiating feed elements. Each radiating feed element has a respective coupling with at least one respective amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers. Each radiating feed element, together with the at least one respective amplifier, is disposed in a closely packed triangular lattice such that separation between adjacent radiating feed elements is not greater than 1.5&#x3bb;.

Imaging array fed reflector

A spacecraft includes a payload subsystem, the payload subsystem including a phased array of feed elements configured to illuminate an antenna reflector, a beam forming network (BFN) disposed proximate to the array of feed elements, and a plurality of power amplifiers disposed between the BFN and the array of feed elements. The BFN includes a plurality of variable amplitude and phase adjusting arrangements disposed between (i) m:1 power combiners that are communicatively coupled with the power amplifiers and (ii) at least one 1:n power splitter, where m is greater than 1, and n is greater than 2.

Broadband satellite payload architecture

A spacecraft has a high efficiency multi-beam antenna (MBA) system that serves a coverage region on the Earth. The coverage region subtends an angle, when viewed from the spacecraft, of at least ten degrees. The antenna system provides, within the coverage region, at least sixteen spot beams. A signal provided by the MBA system to each spot beam has a carrier to interference ratio (C/I) of no less than 20 dB. The system enables use of a three color frequency reuse scheme without recourse to signal encoding.

High efficiency multi-beam antenna

A broadband satellite having a payload subsystem configured to provide dual frequency conversion and bandwidth aggregation is communicatively coupled (i) to at least one gateway by a feeder link operating at a first frequency band; and (ii) to a plurality of user terminals by user links operating at a second frequency band. The payload subsystem has a first and a second frequency converter a satellite feeder link antenna feed, and a satellite user link antenna feed. The first frequency converter down converts, to a third frequency band, as an aggregated block, signals received at the satellite feeder link antenna feed from the gateway via the feeder link. The third frequency band is substantially lower than both the first and second frequency band. The down converted signals are routed to the second frequency converter for up converting to the second frequency band for transmission over the user link to the user terminals.

Broadband satellite with dual frequency conversion and bandwidth aggregation

Methods, systems and apparatus for ground-based beamforming of a satellite communications payload () within a satellite communications network (). An embodiment of the invention comprises a satellite () communicatively coupled to at least one gateway () via a feeder link () and a plurality of user terminals (), each communicatively coupled with the satellite by a user link () where a ground based beam forming system () receives, via feeder link (), return path signals () traveling from the user terminals () via the satellite () to the at least one gateway () and forward path signals () traveling from the at least one gateway () via the satellite () to the user terminals (), and measures and corrects amplitude and phase errors of the return path signals () and the forward path signals ().

Ground-based beamforming for satellite communications systems

High data rata communications services are provided via a satellite system. Data is received from a user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, where the first satellite is one of a number of satellites within the satellite system; the data is forwarded over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and the data is forwarded from the second satellite by a feeder link to a gateway located on the earth, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network. The data is received from the user terminal by an antenna on the first satellite adapted for operation at a frequency associated with the feeder link.

Satellite system with enhanced payload capacity

A communications network () for maximizing bandwidth utilization. An embodiment of the invention comprises a spacecraft (), at least one gateway () communicatively coupled to the spacecraft () by a feeder link () operating within at least one selected frequency band within a bandwidth, at least one user terminal () communicatively coupled to the spacecraft () by a user link (), the user link () operable at any frequency band within the bandwidth without regard to polarization; and, the communications network () adapted to provide for simultaneous operation of at least a portion of the feeder link () and a portion of the user link () at a common polarization and frequency band within the bandwidth.

Multi-beam satellite network to maximize bandwidth utilization

Methods, systems and apparatus for ground-based beamforming of a satellite communications payload () within a satellite communications network (). An embodiment of the invention comprises a satellite () communicatively coupled to at least one gateway () via a feeder link () and further coupled to a plurality of user terminals (), each communicatively coupled with the satellite by a user link (). A ground based beam forming system () measures and corrects amplitude and phase errors of a plurality of return path signals () traveling from the user terminals () via the satellite () to the at least one gateway (), and measures and corrects amplitude and phase errors of a plurality of forward path signals () traveling from the at least one gateway () via the satellite () to the user terminals ().

Array fed multiple beam antenna systems and methods for use on an orbiting spacecraft carrying a communication system. The antenna systems include a reflector and a relatively small array feed compared to the reflector. The array feed has feeds (radiators) that illuminate the reflector and that are disposed in a focal plane of the reflector. A power division network excites the radiators of the feeds. The antenna system is capable of very wide scan angle operation and may be used to provide multiple spot beam coverage over the surface of the Earth viewed from a synchronous orbit spacecraft. Phase aberration normally associated with scanning is corrected by adjusting excitation coefficients of each array feed. The spot beams are scanned across a field of regard by controlling the position of each feed in the focal plane and using the appropriate amplitude and phase distribution associated with a particular spot beam (array feed). The amplitude and phase distributions may be fixed or varied during operation. A dual band system includes a second array feed and a frequency selective surface disposed between the array feeds that optimizes the respective array feeds. Use of the frequency selective surface in dual band implementations produces a very efficient communication system.

Array fed multiple beam array reflector antenna systems and method

The invention relates to a Common Direct Broadcasting Service (CDBS) system for a communications spacecraft. The CDBS system comprises N uplink antennas for receiving uplinks from terrestrial transmitting stations. Each uplink includes left-hand circular polarized (LHCP) signals and/or right-hand circular polarized (RHCP) signals. The LHCP signals and the RHCP signals have frequencies within predetermined channels of a first and/or second predefined frequency band. The CDBS system also comprises means for separating the LHCP signals of the uplinks received by each uplink antenna from the RHCP signals of the uplinks received by each uplink antenna. The CDBS system further comprises a plurality of receivers for converting the separated LHCP signals and RHCP signals of the uplinks to first signals and second signals, respectively, of the uplinks. The first and second signals have frequencies within channels of a third and/or fourth predefined frequency band. The CDBS system also includes means for selecting a predetermined number of the first and second signals of the uplinks, and means for down-selecting signals of the predetermined number of the first and second signals having frequencies within selected ones of the channels of the third and/or fourth predefined frequency bands. The CDBS system further comprises a plurality of downlink antennas for downlinking signals down-selected by the down-selecting means from the communications spacecraft to selected ones of the plurality of terrestrial receiving stations.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Douglas Burr