Co-orbiting laser communications relay satellite

• US 10,142,012 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aerospace Corporation
• Inventors: Welle, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sedighian, M. R.
• Application Number:
  US15/067,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 398173
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1007 Communications satellites
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/242 Orbits and trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/40 Arrangements or adaptations of propulsion systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/646 Docking or rendezvous systems refuelling in space B64G1/4024
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/118 specially adapted for satellite communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/29 Repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18521 Systems of inter linked satellites, i.e. inter satellite service for optical links between satellites H04B10/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/195 Non-synchronous stations

Abstract

A dedicated satellite to reduce the cost and increase the rate and reliability of data transmission from space to ground is provided. For each client satellite producing data in Earth orbit, a dedicated relay satellite is provided. The relay satellite may fly near the client satellite and receive data from the client satellite by RF communication. The relay satellite may transmit the data to a ground terminal or to another satellite using a laser communication system. Because the relay satellite is not physically connected to the client satellite, the attitude-control requirements of an optical communication system are not imposed on the client satellite. The relay satellite may also be deployed from the client satellite. The relay satellite may allow downlinking large amounts of data for new satellite operators without an existing ground network and for established satellite operators seeking higher data rates, lower latency, or reduced ground system operating costs.

Claims

1. A relay satellite for relaying data from a client satellite to thereby reduce power and pointing accuracy requirements of the client satellite, said relay satellite comprising:

a short-range communications link configured to receive data from the client satellite; and

a long-range communications link configured to retransmit the received data to a ground station or another satellite,

wherein the relay satellite is deployed in one of (a) a quasi-orbit with respect to the client satellite such that the relay satellite and the client satellite can be kept within a pre-determined distance or (b) the same orbit as the client satellite but with an in-track offset that keeps the relay satellite and the client satellite within a pre-determined distance;

wherein the short-range communications link can be used to receive data from the client satellite when the client satellite is within a pre-determined distance of the relay satellite;

wherein the relay satellite is deployable from the client satellite after the client satellite reaches orbit.

2. The relay satellite of claim 1, wherein the relay satellite further comprises a docking mechanism configured to dock the relay satellite with the client satellite.

3. The relay satellite of claim 2, wherein the docking mechanism comprises a fuel transfer mechanism configured to transfer propellant between the client satellite and the relay satellite.

4. A satellite network comprising a plurality of relay satellites, as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of relay satellites are each configured to receive data from the same client satellite and wherein the plurality of relay satellites are each in quasi-orbits phased as a function of time with respect to the client satellite.

5. A method of relaying data using a relay satellite to thereby reduce power and pointing accuracy requirements of the client satellite, comprising:

deploying the relay satellite in one of (a) a quasi-orbit with respect to the client satellite such that the relay satellite and the client satellite can be kept within a pre-determined distance or (b) the same orbit as the client satellite but with an in-track offset that keeps the relay satellite and the client satellite within a pre-determined distance;

the relay satellite receiving data from a client satellite via a radio communications link; and

transmitting the received data from the relay satellite to a ground station or another satellite using an optical communication link;

wherein the short-range communications link can be used to receive data from the client satellite when the client satellite is within a pre-determined distance of the relay satellite;

wherein the relay satellite is one of a plurality of relay satellites, wherein the quasi-orbit of the relay satellite is one of a plurality of phased quasi-orbits, and wherein the other relay satellites of the plurality of relay satellites are in the other phased quasi-orbits of the plurality of phased quasi-orbits.