Techniques for data transmission include a geostationary earth orbiting satellite that includes a first optical communication system configured to receive forward-direction user data via a forward optical link between the satellite and a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, and a first radio frequency (RF) communication system configured to transmit, via a plurality of RF spot beams, the forward-direction user data. The stratospheric high-altitude communication device includes a second RF communication system configured to receive the forward-direction user data via a plurality of concurrent forward RF feeder links, and a second optical communication system configured to transmit to the satellite, via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the plurality of forward RF feeder links. A substantial portion of forward feeder data throughput for all forward RF service link transmissions by the satellite is carried via the forward optical link and the plurality of forward RF feeder links.

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array antenna comprises multiple subcircuits in communication with multiple radiating elements. The radio frequency signals are independently adjusted for both polarization control and beam steering. In a receive embodiment, multiple RF signals of various polarizations are received and combined into at least one receive beam output. In a transmit embodiment, at least one transmit beam input is divided and transmitted through multiple radiating elements, with the transmitted beams having various polarizations. In an exemplary embodiment, the phased array antenna provides multi-beam formation over multiple operating frequency bands. The wideband nature of the active components allows for operation over multiple frequency bands simultaneously.

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.

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to providing redundancy for satellite uplink facilities using software-defined networking (SDN). According to one aspect disclosed herein, a satellite network system can include a video collection facility (VCF), a remote uplink facility (RUF), and a diverse uplink facility (DUF) in direct communication with a core network. An SDN controller that operates in an SDN network that provides logical SDN links to the VCF, the RUF, the DUF, and the core network. The SDN controller can track a site configuration of the RUF. The SDN controller can detect that the RUF has been downed due to an adverse event such as inclement weather. The SDN controller can obtain the site configuration of the RUF. The SDN controller can cause a redundant remote uplink facility (RRUF) to be instantiated with the site configuration of the RUF.

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.

A method of creating a dynamically sharp location based filter includes: placing a moving object containing two or more antennas used for direction finding of a radiation source within a anechoic testing chamber; moving one or more radio transmitters within the anechoic chamber relative to a future spatial location, angle, and/or position of the moving object over a defined time; record an expected angle of arrival of one or more signals of the one or more radio transmitters with respect to the future spatial location, angle, and/or position of the moving object over the defined time; and program a filter within the moving object based on the recorded expected angle of arrival of the one or more signals.

A system and method of improving data link performance between two or more wireless data transceivers includes: clipping and inverting the data components of a communication signal which are calculated to cause non-linear saturation effects in the downstream power amplifier; delaying a first time series to align the first time series with the clipped and inverted data components of a second time series; adding the clipped and inverted data components of the second time series to the delayed first time series to obtain a modified composite waveform; creating a sacrificial band containing principal energy of the clipped and inverted data components of the second time series; harvesting the principal energy of the sacrificial band to obtain an optimized composite waveform; and amplifying the optimized composite waveform with the downstream power amplifier of one or more of the two or more wireless data transceivers.

A scheduler apparatus includes: a calculation unit to determine, on the basis of a time required for switching from a first orbiting satellite that is an orbiting satellite to which an earth station is currently directed to a second orbiting satellite candidate that is an orbiting satellite as a candidate for a second orbiting satellite that is an orbiting satellite to which the earth station is directed next, a future expected throughput between the earth station and the first orbiting satellite, and a future expected throughput between the earth station and the second orbiting satellite candidate, the second orbiting satellite and a switching timing at which the earth station switches a directed satellite from the first orbiting satellite to the second orbiting satellite; and an interface to transmit information on the second orbiting satellite and the switching timing determined by the calculation unit.

Techniques for data transmission including receiving, at a geostationary earth orbiting satellite, forward-direction user data via a forward optical link; transmitting, by the geostationary earth orbiting satellite via multiple radio frequency (RF) spot beams, the forward-direction user data received via the forward optical link; receiving, at a stratospheric high-altitude communication device, forward-direction user data via multiple concurrent forward RF feeder links; transmitting, by the stratospheric high-altitude communication device via the forward optical link, the forward-direction user data received via the forward RF feeder links; transmitting, by each of multiple ground-based feeder RF terminals at a same RF feeder site, a respective one of the forward RF feeder links. At least 95% of forward feeder data throughput for all of the forward RF service link transmissions by the satellite is carried via the forward optical link and the forward RF feeder links.

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.