In-orbit reconfigurable communications satellite
First Claim
1. A method of matching a communications satellite footprint to an area to be served, the steps comprising:
- providing a first satellite with a plurality of transponders and a plurality of downlink antenna feeds, each transponder connected to a corresponding downlink antenna feed to provide a downlink beam independent of other downlink beams providing a pattern controller within the satellite to select, based on signals from a ground station, a transmission footprint corresponding to a pattern for the downlinks by selectively turning on and off transponders;
turning on a first set of less than all of the transponders to provide a first transmission footprint corresponding to a first geographic area to be served;
sending a pattern control signal from a ground station;
receiving the pattern control signal in the satellite; and
using the pattern controller to change, based on the pattern control signal, to a second transmission footprint corresponding to a second geographic area to be served, the change to the second transmission footprint accomplished by selectively turning on and off transponders such that a second set of less than all of the transponders remains on, the second set being different than the first set.
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Abstract
The footprint of a first satellite is reconfigurable in orbit by ground control to switch on and off different transponders. Each transponder is connected to a corresponding downlink antenna feed, each of which transmits a downlink beam independent of the others. The satellite can be moved into different orbits or otherwise changed to service new geographic areas by using different combinations of the transponders. In one embodiment, the satellite includes an antenna and components for an uplink beam corresponding to each downlink beam. Various subsets of the downlink antenna feeds are mechanically linked to move in unison using gimbals, each subset using a corresponding gimbal and mechanical driver. The first satellite is sufficiently reconfigurable that it may serve as a back up satellite to a plurality of other satellites in a constellation of satellites.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of matching a communications satellite footprint to an area to be served, the steps comprising:
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providing a first satellite with a plurality of transponders and a plurality of downlink antenna feeds, each transponder connected to a corresponding downlink antenna feed to provide a downlink beam independent of other downlink beams providing a pattern controller within the satellite to select, based on signals from a ground station, a transmission footprint corresponding to a pattern for the downlinks by selectively turning on and off transponders;
turning on a first set of less than all of the transponders to provide a first transmission footprint corresponding to a first geographic area to be served;
sending a pattern control signal from a ground station;
receiving the pattern control signal in the satellite; and
using the pattern controller to change, based on the pattern control signal, to a second transmission footprint corresponding to a second geographic area to be served, the change to the second transmission footprint accomplished by selectively turning on and off transponders such that a second set of less than all of the transponders remains on, the second set being different than the first set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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13. A communications satellite comprising:
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a plurality of transponders and a plurality of downlink antenna feeds, each transponder connected to a corresponding downlink antenna feed to provide a downlink beam independent of other downlink beams;
a pattern controller within the satellite to select, based on signals from a ground station, a transmission footprint corresponding a pattern for the downlinks by selectively turning on and off transponders; and
a receiver for receiving a pattern control signal from a ground station in the satellite; and
wherein the pattern controller is operable to change, based on the pattern control signal, a transmission footprint corresponding to a geographic area to be served by selectively turning on and off transponders such that a set of less than all of the transponders remains on.
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Specification