A system of architecture, apparatus and calibration method is invented for high-power flexible-polarization payload for satellite communications. The system comprises onboard phase-tracked apparatus, flexible polarization mechanism, and in-orbit calibration method. The power combining and polarization performance of the phase-tracked payload is monitored on ground by measuring the cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) and/or axial ratio (AR). The high performance over the life is achieved by optimization of the XPD or AR on ground and adjusting complex gain of the transponders. The high-power flexible-polarization in-orbit-calibration payload may be applied but not limited to UHF, L, S, C, X, Ku and Ka-band high power satellite systems.

The present teachings disclose a multibeam satellite system and methods that can achieve orthogonality between spatially multiplexed signals in a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) configuration when operating in line-of-sight (LOS) uplink and downlink channels on the feeder link side, using essentially a common spot beam. The teachings maximize a MIMO capacity across multiple frequency bands by disclosing an antenna array geometry for disposition on-board a single satellite and for a ground segment.

A wireless communication network such as a 5G communication network can use MIMO technologies to enhance bandwidth between a wireless communications base station and one or more user equipment devices within a service area of the base station. RF signal repeaters can be utilized to provide one or more additional physical channels for communication between the MIMO base station and the MIMO user equipment. These RF signal repeaters can be regarded as increasing the MIMO channel diversity within the ambient environment.

Satellites provide communication between devices such as user terminals (UTs) and ground stations that are connected to points-of-presence (PoP) connected to other networks, such as the Internet. The PoP accepts downstream data addressed to the UT. A representation of the communication resources that are expected to be used to pass the downstream data from the PoP to the UT is determined and executed on one or more processors. The representations may include representations of traffic shapers, modems, and so forth at different points in the network. The representations may consider real-world and simulated feedback data. Within the representation, traffic shaping is employed to determine preshaped data that includes resource metadata designating the communication resources to be used. The preshaped data is passed along to the actual communication resources for subsequent delivery. The preshaping substantially improves performance of constrained communication resources. The preshaped data may be reshaped as real-world conditions change.

A method for suppressing a parasite signal received with a useful signal by a network of elementary antennas of a payload of a satellite. The suppression method includes an analogue formation step for forming analog beams and a digital formation step for forming a digital beam. The analog formation step includes forming of an useful analog beam in which the parasite signal is attenuated with respect to the useful signal and of an auxiliary analog beam in which the useful signal is attenuated with respect to the parasite signal. The digital formation step includes forming of a digital beam in which the parasite signal has been suppressed, by combining the signals obtained by digitizing the auxiliary beam and the useful beam.

Systems and methods are described for robust scheduling of beam switching patterns in satellite communications systems. Embodiments operate in context of a hub-spoke satellite communications architecture having a number of gateway terminals servicing large numbers of user terminals over a number of spot beams. The satellite includes switching subsystems that distribute capacity to the user beams from multiple of the gateway terminals in a shared manner according to a beam group switching pattern. The beam group switching pattern is robustly formulated to continue distributing capacity during gateway outages (e.g., when one or two gateway terminals are temporarily non-operational due to rain fade, equipment failure, etc.). For example, the beam group switching pattern can be formulated to minimize worst-case degradation of capacity across user beams, to prioritize certain beams or beam groups, etc.

A system, apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for providing autonomous beam switching for user equipment (UE) within a cell coverage area of a high-altitude platform station (HAPS) network device, the HAPS network device may be caused the HAPS network device to, determine beam layer information corresponding to the plurality of beam layers; transmit the beam layer information to the at least one UE; receive an autonomous beam switch request from the at least one UE in response to the transmitted beam layer information, the request including beam switch parameters; determine a selected beam layer based on the beam switch parameters; and enable communication with the at least one UE using the selected beam layer.

An imaging array fed reflector for a spacecraft is included in a spacecraft payload subsystem. The payload subsystem includes a multi-beam antenna including a reflector, a plurality of amplifiers, and a plurality of radiating feed elements, the feed elements configured as a phased array, illuminating the reflector, operable at a frequency having a characteristic wavelength (λ), and configured to produce, in a far field at the reflector, a set of contiguous abutting beams. The amplifiers are disposed proximate to the plurality of radiating feed elements. Each radiating feed element has a respective coupling with at least one respective amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers. Each radiating feed element, together with the at least one respective amplifier, is disposed in a closely packed triangular lattice such that separation between adjacent radiating feed elements is not greater than 1.5λ.

An orbiting multiple access transceiver communicates with terrestrial mobile stations which are also capable of communicating with terrestrial base stations. The multiple access transceiver is configured to sample a signal when a terrestrial mobile station of interest is not transmitting to produce a sample signal. The sample signal may be processed to produce an out-of-phase signal that may be applied to a signal when the terrestrial mobile station of interest is transmitting to produce a clearer signal from the terrestrial mobile station of interest.

An apparatus as described herein may include an antenna array that receives radio frequency signals and outputs analog signals. The apparatus may also include analog to digital signal converters that convert the analog signals into digital sample streams. Also, the apparatus may include a sample buffer that buffers subsets of the digital sample streams and a beamformer that uses the digital sample streams to generate one or more beam signals. Additionally, the apparatus may include a processor that determines a spatial characteristic or a spectral characteristic for the radio frequency signals based on the subsets of the digital sample streams.