Synchronized satellite communications can include receiving, at a computer having a processor, a data request that identifies a requesting device, data to be received by the requesting device, and a time at which the data is to be received by the requesting device. The processor can determine a geographic location of the requesting device and locations of a plurality of satellites; identify, based on the geographic location of the requesting device and the locations of the plurality of satellites, satellites that are to provide the data to the requesting device; generate instructions for loading network requirements to the satellites; and provide, to at least one of the satellites, the instructions. Additionally, embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein can be used to provide the same data and/or different data to multiple devices at the same time.

A multi-beam phased array antenna system includes a beamformer responsive to control signals to convert between a plurality of subarray signals and a plurality of beam signals. The system also includes a plurality of subarrays to communicate a plurality of beams corresponding to the plurality of beam signals. Each subarray includes a plurality of radiating elements. Each subarray also includes subarray beamforming circuitry responsive to respective beam weights to adjust RF signals communicated with the radiating elements, and convert between the adjusted RF signals and one respective subarray signal. The system further includes a controller that determines two or more beams, wherein the two or more beams are the same communication type. The beamformer assigns disjoint subsets of subarrays to each of the determined two or more beams. The controller also provides the beam weights for each of the plurality of subarrays and provides the control signals to the beamformer.

Wireless communication method and apparatus to enable communications between a plurality of endpoints and a satellite or terrestrial gateway integrated with a plurality of oblong shaped antenna arrays. The wireless communication method leverages data symbols that are orthogonally modulated. The method permits the use of a plurality of compact oblong shaped antenna arrays to increase network capacity and reduce endpoint power consumption.

Techniques for differentiating orthogonally modulated symbols from different transmitters using one or more antenna arrays are described. According to some techniques, symbols received at one or more antenna arrays are grouped together by matching respective sets of receive beams for each symbol. In this manner, symbols received from a first transmitter at a first location can be differentiated from symbols received from a second transmitter at a second location, and both sets of symbols can be successfully decoded. When the symbols are received using frequency hopping, the receive beams for each symbol can be sorted according to path length, which improves performance, and also enables precise location of the transmitter(s).

Systems, methods, and apparatus for satellite operations with secure enclave for secure inband hosted payload operations are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a method for payload operations comprises receiving, by a vehicle, host commands from a satellite operation portion of a host spacecraft operations center (SOC). The method further comprises reconfiguring a payload and at least bus component on the vehicle according to the host commands. Also, the method comprises transmitting, by the vehicle, host telemetry to the satellite operation portion of the host SOC. In addition, the method comprises receiving, by the vehicle, hosted commands from a secure enclave of the host SOC. Additionally, the method comprises reconfiguring the payload on the vehicle according to the hosted commands. Further, the method comprises transmitting, by a payload antenna on the vehicle, host payload data, hosted payload data, and the encrypted hosted telemetry to the secure enclave.

Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

Systems and methods for supporting more flexible coverage areas and spatial capacity assignments using satellite communications systems are disclosed. A hub-spoke, bent-pipe satellite communications system includes: terminals; gateways; a controller for specifying data for controlling satellite operations in accordance with a frame definition including timeslots for a frame and defining an allocation of capacity between forward and return traffic; and a satellite including: pathways; at least one LNA, an output of which is for coupling to a pathway and to amplify uplink beam signals in accordance with the allocation; and at least one HPA, an input of which is for coupling to the pathway and to amplify downlink beam signals in accordance with the allocation, and wherein the frame definition specifies at least one pathway as a forward pathway for at least one timeslot and as a return pathway for at least one other timeslot in the frame.

Systems and methods for supporting more flexible coverage areas and spatial capacity assignments using satellite communications systems are disclosed. A hub-spoke, bent-pipe satellite communications system includes: terminals; gateways; a controller for specifying data for controlling satellite operations in accordance with a frame definition including timeslots for a frame and defining an allocation of capacity between forward and return traffic. The satellite communications system may employ a satellite with a feed array assembly and may use on-board beamforming or ground-based beamforming. Beam hopping within timeslots of the frame may be used to provide coverage to different cells in different time periods. The flexible coverage areas may be provided using changes in satellite position, antenna patterns, or beam resource allocations.

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a signal processing method and apparatus for use in a satellite payload in which an input RF signal received at a receiver antenna is modulated by using a single optical carrier at the input of an optical modulator. The optical domain signal is processed and is subsequently combined with a single unmodulated optical LO tone to provide an output RF signal for radiation by a transmitter antenna or for further digital processing by an on-board processor. This results in a clean generation of the frequency-converted RF signal at the output of the opto-electrical conversion stage.

An example of a channelizer includes a plurality of receiver circuits, an individual receiver circuit including a frequency demultiplexer that is configured to demultiplex a plurality of subchannels and a time-division demultiplexer coupled to the frequency demultiplexer, the time-division demultiplexer configured to time-division demultiplex the plurality of subchannels to provide a plurality of time-division outputs, an individual time-division output including portions of data from each of the plurality of subchannels; and a plurality of switch circuits, each configured to receive a different time-division output of the plurality of time-division outputs from the individual receiver.