A method and apparatus for non-terrestrial network beam switching is provided. A non-terrestrial network base station includes a transmitter configured to transmit downlink data to user equipment and a receiver configured to receive uplink data from the user equipment. A channel bandwidth of the non-terrestrial network base station is divided into a plurality of bandwidth parts respectively corresponding to a plurality of geographic areas, and each bandwidth part is respectively associated with a satellite beam. When the user equipment is located in a first geographic area, the transmitter transmits the downlink data to the user equipment over a corresponding first bandwidth part. After the user equipment transitions from the first geographic area to a second geographic area, the transmitter transmits the downlink data to the user equipment over a corresponding second bandwidth part of the plurality of bandwidth parts.

A Data Relay Apparatus comprising multiple Systems of Data Relay Devices operating interconnectedly to provide data information transmissions throughout the Solar System. The Data Relay Apparatus provides multi-band radio frequency and optical laser-based data transmission across a Mesh Network located at calculated orbital positions/paths and celestial bodies in the Solar System region. Data Processing Hardware determines communications paths to route data information from transmission to destination Data Relay Devices. The determination of Signal Destination Routes creates, sustains, and enables a self-forming, self-healing, and self-expanding, respectively, Mesh Network configuration and characteristic of the Data Relay Apparatus. The location of Data Relay Devices enables data information connectivity from the orbital paths of Venus to Neptune. The invention improves existing yet limited data information transmission by providing increased data transmission speed, enhanced capacity, and adaptable network configuration essential to proliferated spacecraft travel and operations throughout the Solar System region.

A base station for communication with a terminal station having a plurality of terminal station antennas. The base station has a plurality of directional antennas, each of the plurality of directional antennas in communication with satellites in view. The base station also has a processing device (e.g., eNodeB) to transmit each of the multiple base-station antenna signals via each of the plurality of directional antennas to satellites and/or the beams of the same satellite seen by the terminal station for retransmission to the plurality of terminal station antennas.

The present invention relates to satellite systems and more particularly, to the provision of a satellite system and method for communications applications, with global coverage. An optimal method of providing global broadband connectivity has been discovered which uses two different LEO constellations with inter-satellite links among the satellites in each constellation, and inter-satellite links between the constellations. The first constellation is deployed in a polar LEO orbit with a preferred inclination of 99.5 degrees and a preferred altitude of 1000 km. The second constellation is deployed in an inclined LEO orbit with a preferred inclination of 37.4 degrees and a preferred altitude of 1250 km.

Time-synchronization of a space-system having a plurality of satellites. During a first period, a first satellite of the plurality of satellites is designated as a master satellite. A clock of the master satellite is configured to provide time and frequency to remaining satellites of the plurality of satellites and the remaining satellites are designated as slave satellites. During a second period, a second satellite of the slave satellites is designated as the master satellite based on a performance indicator and the first satellite is designated as a slave satellite. During the first period and the second period, clocks of the slave satellites are crosslinked with a clock of the master satellite using time transfer. At least one satellite during the first period and the second period, delivers time data having the time and the frequency generated by a clock of the at least one satellite.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for supporting estimation of inter-satellite link acquisition times in a satellite constellation. The method includes computing or generating an indication of a statistical model based on observations for prior link acquisition times. The method further includes communicating an indication such as a statistical model for link acquisition times or related parameters through a communication network, or a combination thereof. The indication may be communicated using one or more transmission techniques or protocols, such as flooding, a link state protocol or gossip protocol. Based on the disseminated indication, future link acquisition times can be predicted by satellites in the satellite constellation. Embodiments of the invention use a statistical-based computation approach, such as regression modelling or random variable modelling, to estimate link acquisition times or associated estimation parameters. The estimates or associated estimation parameters may then be disseminated through the constellation.

Various approaches for the deployment and coordination of inter-satellite communication pathways, defined for use with a satellite non-terrestrial network, are discussed. Among other examples, such inter-satellite communication pathways may be identified, reserved, allocated, and used for ultra-low-latency communication purposes.

A method, including receiving a search query for resources that are configured to establish a connection with a space vehicle, the search query including a first value for a connection parameter; identifying one or more tactic definitions that satisfy the search query, each of the tactic definitions including one or more second values for the connection parameter, wherein at least one of the second values for the connection parameter matches the first value for the connection parameter that is included in the search query; and generating one or more tactic options, each of the tactic options being generated based on a respective one of the tactic definitions, each of the tactic options being associated with a respective resource of the tactic option.

This application provides an example satellite, an example terminal device, an example satellite communication system, and an example satellite communication method. One example satellite communication method includes obtaining, by a first satellite, at a media access control (MAC) layer, data and/or signaling, where the first satellite is a low orbit satellite. When MAC-layer first processing needs to be performed on the data and/or the signaling, performing, by the first satellite, the MAC-layer first processing on the data and/or the signaling. The MAC-layer first processing includes at least one of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) function processing or random access (RA) function processing.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that has a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, including receiving a request for an observation of an overhead viewing area from an observer location; discovering an interference of a satellite with the observation of the overhead viewing area; determining possible solutions to the interference; selecting a solution of the possible solutions; receiving the observation from one or more satellites responding to the solution selected; and providing a response to the request including the observation received. Other embodiments are disclosed.