A system comprises a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to change a satellite antenna direction from a first sky segment to a second sky segment, to change the satellite antenna direction to return to the first sky segment upon updating segment blockage status data including a location and a score of the second sky segment, and to change the satellite antenna direction to a third sky segment based at least in part on the segment blockage status data.

A system comprises a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to change a satellite antenna direction from a first sky segment to a second sky segment, to change the satellite antenna direction to return to the first sky segment upon updating segment blockage status data including a location and a score of the second sky segment, and to change the satellite antenna direction to a third sky segment based at least in part on the segment blockage status data.

Disclosed are techniques for paging a user terminal (UT) in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), which may define a plurality of NTN tracking areas (TA). Each NTN TA, served by one or more satellite beams, may move or may be a geographic region. The UT may report its location before changing its connection state with the NTN and may also update its location whenever it moves a threshold distance from the previous reported location. The NTN may estimate UT's current location based on the last reported location and other factors including mobility of the UT. The NTN may determine a UT TA as the NTN TA that corresponds to the current location, and may page the UT through one or more satellite beams corresponding to the UT TA.

Radio communications systems use 100 to 200 satellites in random low-earth orbits distributed over a predetermined range of north and south latitudes. The satellites themselves create a radio route between ground stations via radio links between multiple satellites by virtue of onboard global navigation satellite system circuitry for determining the location of the satellite and route creation circuitry for calculating in real time the direction from the satellite's location at a particular instant to a destination ground station. Directional antennas in the satellites transmit routing radio signals to enhance the probability of reception by other satellites. One embodiment facilitates the creation of satellite-to-satellite links by assigning each satellite a unique identifier, storing orbital information defining the locations of all of the orbiting satellites in the system at any particular time, and including in the radio signal the unique identifier associated with the transmitting satellite.

In some implementations, a device may obtain historical orbital data indicative of orbital movement of a set of satellites over a period of time, the set of satellites comprising at least a subset of satellites of the satellite constellation. The device may, for each satellite in the set of satellites, estimate a set of orbital parameter values by fitting an orbital model to the historical data of the respective satellite, wherein at least one orbital parameter value of the set of orbital values is common across a group of satellites within the set of satellites. The device may send assistance data to at least one mobile device, the assistance data indicative of the respective set of orbital parameter values for all satellites of the set of satellites.

Generally, system and method for calibration an in-orbit satellite are provided. The method may comprise transmitting, by a Geosynchronous (GEO) satellite, a GEO satellite signal and receiving, by a Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite, the GEO satellite signal when the LEO satellite crosses a predetermined transmission footprint of the GEO satellite at a predetermined LEO satellite location. The method may comprise determining, by a base station, a GEO satellite location at which the GEO satellite signal is received by the LEO satellite. The method may comprise comparing, by the base station, the transmitted GEO satellite signal and the received GEO satellite signal and further determining, by the base station, based on at least one of the comparison thereof, the predetermined LEO satellite location and the GEO satellite location, a GEO satellite transmission performance at a specific geographical location on ground.

A satellite for implementing a protocol associated with a distributed satellite position verification system is provided. The satellite, on implementing the protocol, verifies records of positions of one or more other satellites in the distributed satellite position verification system. According to the protocol, the satellite performs, at different time instances, a first operation, a second operation, or a third operation to act as a first satellite, a second satellite, or a third satellite, respectively in the distributed satellite position verification system. When the first satellites performs the first operation, the first satellite verifies at least some positions in the records of positions of the second satellite such that the first satellite: determines a verified position of the second satellite; calculates a deviation between the verified position and a prior estimated position of the second satellite; and records the verified position into the records, based on the calculated deviation.

A gateway is configured to communicate with a satellite so as to control the preceding/pre-equalization of a communication between the satellite and at least one terminal based on a channel state of a channel between the terminal and the satellite. The gateway is configured for receiving a location-related information indicating a location of the terminal and for determining a predicted channel state information related to the channel state between the terminal and the satellite using the location-related information. The gateway is configured for controlling the signal processing so as to precode the communication according to the predicted channel state information.

A communication system is described. The system includes: at least one gateway able to provide broadband connectivity, a set of ground terminals, and a set of high altitude platforms (HAPs), where at least one aerial platform is able to communicate with at least one gateway using radio frequencies, each HAP is able to communicate with ground terminals using radio frequencies, and each HAP is able to communicate with each other HAP using radio frequencies. Ways to handoff a ground terminal/gateway from one HAP beam to another HAP beam are described. Ways to handoff a ground terminal/gateway from one HAP to another HAP are described. Ways that keep the communications payload radios active when there is data traffic and put the radios in sleep mode otherwise, thereby adjusting the communications payload power consumption to the data traffic requirements as a function of time and coverage area, are described.

Generally, system and method for calibration an in-orbit satellite are provided. The method may comprise transmitting, by a Geosynchronous (GEO) satellite, a GEO satellite signal and receiving, by a Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite, the GEO satellite signal when the LEO satellite crosses a predetermined transmission footprint of the GEO satellite at a predetermined LEO satellite location. The method may comprise determining, by a base station, a GEO satellite location at which the GEO satellite signal is received by the LEO satellite. The method may comprise comparing, by the base station, the transmitted GEO satellite signal and the received GEO satellite signal and further determining, by the base station, based on at least one of the comparison thereof, the predetermined LEO satellite location and the GEO satellite location, a GEO satellite transmission performance at a specific geographical location on ground.