Systems and methods for controlling satellites are provided. In one example embodiment, a computing system can obtain a request for image data. The request can be associated with a priority for acquiring the image data. The computing system can determine an availability of a plurality of satellites to acquire the image data based at least in part on the request. The computing system can select from among a plurality of communication pathways to transmit an image acquisition command to a satellite based at least in part on the request priority. The plurality of communication pathways can include a communication pathway via which the image acquisition command is indirectly communicated to the satellite via a geostationary satellite. The computing system can send the image acquisition command to the selected satellite via the selected communication pathway.

A system and method for increasing bandwidth utilization of an aggregated path by a mobile terminal, the method including: establishing the aggregated path of communication with the mobile terminal, where the aggregated path includes a first path including a High Throughput Satellite (HTS) path having a first available capacity and a second path including a wireless path having a second available capacity; tracking the first and second available capacities; and updating, upon a movement of the mobile terminal, the first available capacity based on a distance of the mobile terminal from a satellite beam center of a current satellite beam; and selecting, to communicate a packet, one of the first and seconds path based on the first and the second available capacities.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, an aerial base station determining operating frequencies of terrestrial base stations, and taking one or more actions to reduce the potential for interference between the aerial base station and the terrestrial base stations. Actions taken by the aerial base station may include changing frequency, changing altitude, changing location, and changing transmit power. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A satellite communication system that combines the benefits of Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems into an MEO-LEO satellite system. The MEO-LEO system includes an LEO constellation combined with a MEO constellation where the LEO constellation may provide global coverage with broad average capacity and may support ‘hot spot’ coverage where desired. The MEO constellation may provide unique advantages including backhaul to ground in remote areas, higher traffic density for key locations, and a secure global backhaul for key customers. Data may be routed over optical inter-satellite links using Software Defined Networking concepts to provide MEO-LEO (backhaul and ground access), LEO-LEO (upstream & downstream); and (3) MEO-MEO (crosslinks & downlinks). Further, implementations described herein include secure user terminal (UT) to UT IP routing in the constellation for direct UT to UT communication.

A device in a population of devices arranged at a celestial body for transmitting data to a relay station orbiting the celestial body. The relay station and the population of devices are to travel with respect to one another such that the relay station is to receive signals that include the data in data packages from the population of devices. The device includes trajectory data of the relay station, a transmitter to use the trajectory data so as to transmit a signal that is part of the signals, a data processor, and a computer program which, when executing on the data processor, is to calculate a Doppler shift based upon the trajectory data, and modify the signal to thereby compensate for the Doppler shift of the signal that results from the travelling of the relay station and the population of devices with respect to one another.

An enhanced L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) may include LDACS ground stations; and a LDACS airborne stations, each configured to communicate with the LDACS ground stations at a given class of service from among different classes of service. The enhanced LDACS may also include a network controller configured to operate the LDACS ground stations and LDACS airborne stations at the different user classes of service.

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 satellite communication system which provides interference mitigation across multiple constellations. The satellite communication system provides interference mitigation when an in-line event occurs where a main lobe of a satellite of the first constellation and a main lobe of a user terminal communicating with the satellite of the second satellite constellation intersect sufficiently to cause significant interference on a common frequency band of the satellite and the user terminal.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a processing system determines a set of edge locations for the network, each including a satellite antenna for communicating with a satellite of a satellite system and a transceiver for ground-based communications on the network. The method also includes analyzing content to be placed at an edge location; placing the content at the edge location for distribution over the network, configuring the network in accordance with the placing the content, and distributing the content over the network; the distributing includes transmitting the content to a satellite of the satellite system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Systems and method for supporting a fractionated satellite constellation are disclosed. A gateway satellite may route communications to and from auxiliary satellites using a first communication protocol. The auxiliary satellites may be orbitally-coupled with the gateway satellite and may be equipped with respective payload types that provide respective functionalities. The auxiliary satellites may also use respective communications protocols that are different than one another and the first communication protocol. Routing communications to and from auxiliary satellites may include relaying a communication between multiple auxiliary satellites. Routing communications between auxiliary satellites may include relaying a communication between multiple gateway satellites. Routing communications to and from auxiliary satellites may also include relaying communications between commercial satellites and auxillary satellites.