Hughes Network Systems, LLC

Sayed Hasan Hariq

Techniques are described for implementing free space optical (FSO) ground-to-satellite communications. In general, an optical ground station communicates optically with a satellite via a ground-to-satellite FSO communication link. Embodiments described herein deploy at least two FSO relays at one or more aerial platform altitudes to effectively segment the ground-to-satellite FSO communication link into three or more FSO sub-links. Each FSO sub-link has better optical link performance (e.g., lower outage probability) than a single direct link. The FSO relays can include tropospheric FSO relays on low-altitude platforms and/or stratospheric FSO relays on high-altitude platforms, and architectures can use the FSO relays in a serial and/or parallel manner.

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Germantown, MD, United States of America

Sayed Hasan Hariq