Space-Based Network Architectures for Satellite Radiotelephone Systems

• US 20070072545A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Karabinis, Peter, Agnew, Carson
• Application Number:
  US11/560,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072545A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/12.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18534 for enhancing link reliablility, e.g. satellites diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18539 Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]

Abstract

A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system includes at least one receive-only satellite and at least one transmit satellite. The transmit satellite can be a transmit-only satellite or a transmit and receive satellite. The receive-only satellite(s) are configured to receive wireless communications from a radiotelephone at a location over a satellite frequency band. The transmit satellite(s) are configured to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone at the location over the satellite frequency band. By providing at least one receive-only satellite and at least one transmit satellite, space-based networks can offer a significant link margin, without the need to undesirably burden the radiotelephones themselves to achieve this link margin.

Claims

1. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

at least one radiotelephone that is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations; and

at least one satellite that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

2. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises two satellites each one of which is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein each one of the two satellites comprises at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

3. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises first and second antennas each of which is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein each one of the first and second antennas is configured to provide information to at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

4. A space-based network according to claim 2 wherein at least one of the two satellites comprises first and second antennas each of which is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein each one of the first and second antennas is configured to provide information to at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

5. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and/or to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein the at least one antenna comprises a diameter that exceeds 12 meters.

6. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one transmit and receive satellite that is substantially collocated with a receive-only satellite.

7. A space-based network according to claim 2 wherein the two satellites comprise two transmit and receive satellites, at least one of which is substantially collocated with a receive-only satellite.

8. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises a transmit antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

9. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one transmit and receive antenna that is configured to transmit and receive information to/from the at least one radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

10. A space-based network according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the two transmit and receive satellites comprises a transmit antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

11. A space-based network according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the two transmit and receive satellites comprises at least one transmit and receive antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

12. A space-based network according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one gateway that is configured to communicate with the at least one satellite.

13. A space-based network according to claim 1 further comprising a feeder link processor that is configured to combine signals that are received by at least one service-link antenna into a feeder link signal that is transmitted to a gateway in a plurality of substantially orthogonal dimensions and/or polarizations.

14. A space-based network according to claim 13 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to receive the feeder link signal.

15. A space-based network according to claim 13 wherein a bandwidth of the feeder link signal is greater than or equal to an aggregate bandwidth of the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna.

16. A space-based network according to claim 13 further comprising:

a plurality of gateways, each of which is configured to receive a feeder link signal.

17. A space-based network according to claim 13 wherein the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna have an aggregate bandwidth that is greater than a bandwidth of the feeder link signal.

18. A space-based network according to claim 16 further comprising a combiner that is configured to combine first and second feeder link signals that are received by respective first and second gateways.

19. A space-based network according to claim 1 further comprising:

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

59. A space-based network according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radiotelephone is configured to transmit information to the space-based network via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the at least one radiotelephone and the at least one satellite by radiating electro-magnetic energy over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and wherein the at least one satellite is further configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

60. A space-based network according to claim 59 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

105. A space-based network according to claim 1 wherein the at least one satellite comprises an antenna configured to transmit and to receive.

20. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

at least one satellite that is configured to receive information from a radiotelephone over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

21. A space-based network according to claim 20 wherein the at least one satellite comprises first and second antennas each of which is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone and wherein each one of the first and second antennas is configured to provide information to at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

22. A space-based network according to claim 20 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and/or to receive information from the radiotelephone and wherein the at least one antenna comprises a diameter that exceeds 12 meters.

23. A space-based network according to claim 20 wherein a space-based portion of the space-based network consists of a first receive-only satellite, a second receive-only satellite, a first transmit and receive satellite and/or a second transmit and receive satellite.

24. A space-based network according to claim 20 wherein the at least one satellite comprises a transmit antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone.

25. A space-based network according to claim 20 wherein the at least one satellite comprises a transmit and receive antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and receive information from the radiotelephone.

26. A space-based network according to claim 20 further comprising:

at least one gateway that is configured to communicate with the at least one satellite.

27. A space-based network according to claim 20 further comprising a feeder link processor that is configured to combine signals that are received by at least one service-link antenna into a feeder link signal that is transmitted to a gateway in a plurality of substantially orthogonal dimensions and/or polarizations.

28. A space-based network according to claim 27 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to receive the feeder link signal.

29. A space-based network according to claim 27 wherein a bandwidth of the feeder link signal is greater than or equal to an aggregate bandwidth of the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna.

30. A space-based network according to claim 27 further comprising:

a plurality of gateways, each of which is configured to receive a feeder link signal.

31. A space-based network according to claim 27 wherein the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna have an aggregate bandwidth that is greater than a bandwidth of the feeder link signal.

32. A space-based network according to claim 30 further comprising a combiner that is configured to combine first and second feeder link signals that are received by respective first and second gateways.

33. A space-based network according to claim 20 further comprising:

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

61. A space-based network according to claim 20, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to transmit information to the space-based network via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the radiotelephone and the at least one satellite by radiating electro-magnetic energy over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and wherein the at least one satellite is further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

62. A space-based network according to claim 61 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

106. A space-based network according to claim 20 wherein the at least one satellite comprises an antenna configured to transmit and to receive.

34. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

at least one satellite that is configured to receive information from a radiotelephone over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and over at least two spatially different direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless links between the radiotelephone and the at least one satellite, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations, to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate the electro-magnetic energy over the at least two spatially different direct LOS wireless links between the radiotelephone and the at least one satellite.

35. A space-based network according to claim 34 wherein the at least one satellite comprises first and second receive antennas each of which is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone.

36. A space-based network according to claim 34 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and/or to receive information from the radiotelephone and wherein the at least one antenna comprises a diameter that exceeds 12 meters.

37. A space-based network according to claim 34 wherein a space-based portion of the space-based network consists of a first receive-only satellite, a second receive-only satellite and/or a transmit and receive satellite.

38. A space-based network according to claim 34 wherein the at least one satellite comprises a transmit antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone.

39. A space-based network according to claim 34 wherein the at least one satellite comprises an antenna that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and to receive information from the radiotelephone.

40. A space-based network according to claim 34 further comprising:

at least one gateway that is configured to communicate with the at least one satellite.

41. A space-based network according to claim 34 further comprising a feeder link processor that is configured to combine signals that are received by at least one service-link antenna into a feeder link signal that is transmitted to a gateway in a plurality of substantially orthogonal dimensions and/or polarizations.

42. A space-based network according to claim 41 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to receive the feeder link signal.

43. A space-based network according to claim 41 wherein a bandwidth of the feeder link signal is greater than or equal to an aggregate bandwidth of the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna.

44. A space-based network according to claim 41 further comprising:

a plurality of gateways, each of which is configured to receive a feeder link signal.

45. A space-based network according to claim 41 wherein the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna have an aggregate bandwidth that is greater than a bandwidth of the feeder link signal.

46. A space-based network according to claim 44 further comprising a combiner that is configured to combine first and second feeder link signals that are received by respective first and second gateways.

47. A space-based network according to claim 34 further comprising:

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

63. A space-based network according to claim 34, wherein the at least one satellite is further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

64. A space-based network according to claim 63 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

107. A space-based network according to claim 34 wherein the at least one satellite comprises an antenna configured to transmit and to receive.

48. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising a first number of antennas each of which is configured to receive information and a second number of antennas each of which is configured to transmit information, wherein the first number of antennas equals or exceeds the second number of antennas, at least one antenna of the first number of antennas is configured to receive information from a radiotelephone over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and the radiotelephone is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of the least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

49. A space-based network according to claim 48 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with at least two antennas of the first number of antennas in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by a radiotelephone.

50. A space-based network according to claim 48 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by a radiotelephone.

65. A space-based network according to claim 48, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to transmit information to the space-based network via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the radiotelephone and at least one antenna of the first number of antennas, by radiating electro-magnetic energy over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and wherein the space-based network is further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

66. A space-based network according to claim 65 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

75. A space-based network according to claim 48 further comprising:

a terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

51. An antenna for a space-based network, the antenna comprising:

a plurality of elements configured to receive information from a radiotelephone over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to transmit information to the antenna via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the radiotelephone and the antenna and the radiotelephone is further configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

52. An antenna according to claim 51 further comprising:

an electronics subsystem that is configured to receive signals from the antenna and to transmit signals to a gateway that is configured to process signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

67. An antenna according to claim 51, wherein the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations comprise a Left Hand Circular Polarization (LHCP) and a Right Hand circular polarization (RHCP) and wherein the antenna is further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

68. An antenna according to claim 67 wherein the space-based network further comprises:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

76. An antenna for a space-based network according to claim 51 in combination with a terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

53. A radiotelephone for a space-based network, the radiotelephone comprising:

at least one antenna element that is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations, wherein at least one satellite of the space-based network is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and the radiotelephone is further configured to transmit information to the at least one satellite via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the radiotelephone and the at least one satellite by radiating electro-magnetic energy over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

54. A radiotelephone according to claim 53 further comprising:

a transmitter that is configured to transmit an Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations that is less than 1 Watt and wherein a gateway is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted by the radiotelephone.

69. A radiotelephone according to claim 53, wherein the at least one satellite is further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

70. A radiotelephone according to claim 69 wherein the space-based network further comprises:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

77. A radiotelephone for a space-based network according to claim 53 in combination with a terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

55. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

at least one first satellite that is configured to receive information from a radiotelephone; and

/or

at least one second satellite that is configured to transmit information to the radiotelephone and to receive information from the radiotelephone, wherein the at least one first satellite and/or the at least one second satellite is/are configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two different polarizations and the radiotelephone is configured to transmit information to the space-based network via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the radiotelephone and the at least one first satellite and/or between the radiotelephone and the at least one second satellite, by radiating electro-magnetic energy of substantially the same information content over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over each one of the at least two different polarizations.

56. A space-based network according to claim 55 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two different polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

57. A space-based network according to claim 55 wherein the at least one first satellite and/or the at least one second satellite comprise(s) at least one antenna that is configured to transmit and/or receive information to/from the radiotelephone and wherein the at least one antenna comprises a diameter that exceeds 12 meters.

58. A space-based network according to claim 55 further comprising:

an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

71. A space-based network according to claim 55, wherein the at least one first satellite and/or the at least one second satellite is/are further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

72. A space-based network according to claim 71 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

73. A space-based network according to claim 57, wherein the at least one first satellite and/or the at least one second satellite is/are further configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

74. A space-based network according to claim 73 further comprising:

a gateway that is configured to process at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two spatially different antenna patterns and/or at least two signals associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations in order to recover information transmitted to the space-based network by the radiotelephone.

78. A space-based network according to claim 55 further comprising:

a terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

79. A space-based network according to claim 57 further comprising:

a terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

80. A radiotelephone for a space-based network comprising:

a transmitter that is configured to transmit information to the space-based network by radiating electro-magnetic energy that is substantially linearly polarized at an Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) level that is less than 1 Watt and the space-based network is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

81. A space-based network comprising:

a transmitter that is configured to transmit information to a radiotelephone by radiating electro-magnetic energy that is substantially Right-Hand Circularly Polarized (RHCP) or Left Hand circularly Polarized (LHCP) and a receiver that is configured to receive information from the radiotelephone by receiving electro-magnetic energy that is substantially RHCP and LHCP, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy that is substantially RHCP and LHCP, to radiate substantially the same information content over the RHCP and LHCP and to radiate an Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) level over the RHCP and LHCP combined that is less than 1 Watt.

82. A space-based network comprising at least one gateway and at least one satellite, wherein the at least one gateway is configured to receive from the at least one satellite a user signal and a plurality of components of the user signal are provided to the at least one gateway via a plurality of polarizations and/or a plurality of spatially different antenna patterns, wherein at least a first component and a second component of the plurality of components each comprises an information content that is substantially the same.

83. A space-based network according to claim 82 wherein the plurality of polarizations includes a plurality of service link and/or feeder link polarizations.

84. A space-based network according to claim 82 wherein the plurality of spatially different antenna patterns includes a plurality of service link and/or feeder link antenna patterns.

85. A space-based network according to claim 82 wherein the at least one gateway is further configured to receive two components of the plurality of components of the user signal via respective In-phase (I) and a Quadrature (Q) components of a carrier.

86. A space-based network comprising at least one gateway and at least one satellite, wherein the at least one gateway is configured to receive from the at least one satellite a user signal and a plurality of components of the user signal are provided to the at least one gateway via a plurality of substantially distinct dimensions and/or via a plurality of substantially distinct physical paths, wherein at least a first component and a second component of the plurality of components each comprises an information content that is substantially the same.

87. A space-based network comprising at least one gateway and at least one satellite, wherein the at least one gateway is configured to receive from the at least one satellite a user signal and a plurality of components of the user signal are provided to the at least one gateway via a plurality of substantially distinct dimensions and/or substantially distinct physical paths, wherein at least a first component and a second component of the plurality of components each comprises an information content that is substantially the same and wherein the gateway is further configured to process at least two components of the plurality of components of the user signal to recover the information content.

88. A space-based network comprising a satellite and at least one gateway, wherein the satellite is configured to provide to the at least one gateway a plurality of elements of a user signal and wherein the plurality of elements are received at the satellite from a radiotelephone via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the radiotelephone and the satellite and over at least two substantially orthogonal dimensions.

89. A space-based network according to claim 88 wherein the at least one LOS physical path is at least one path from the radiotelephone to a satellite antenna element and/or spot beam and wherein the at least two substantially orthogonal dimensions are at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

90. A space-based network according to claim 89 wherein the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations comprise a substantially Right Hand Circular Polarization (RHCP) and a substantially Left Hand Circular Polarization (LHCP).

91. A space-based network according to claim 88 wherein the plurality of elements of a user signal are provided by the satellite to the at least one gateway by a plurality of carriers, polarizations and/or channels.

92. A space-based network according to claim 91 wherein the plurality of carriers comprise at least one carrier comprising an In-phase (I) and a Quadrature (Q) component and the plurality of polarizations and/or channels comprise at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

93. A radiotelephone comprising a transmitter that is configured to communicate with a space-based network, the space-based network comprising at least one satellite and at least one satellite gateway, the transmitter being configured to communicate with the at least one satellite gateway via the at least one satellite by transmitting concurrently substantially Left Hand Circularly Polarized (LHCP) electro-magnetic energy and Right Hand Circularly Polarized (RHCP) electro-magnetic energy, wherein an information content of the RHCP electro-magnetic energy is substantially the same as an information content of the LHCP electro-magnetic energy.

94. A gateway for a space-based network, the gateway comprising a receiver that is configured to communicate with a radiotelephone via at least one satellite, the radiotelephone configured to transmit concurrently substantially Left Hand Circularly Polarized (LHCP) and Right Hand Circularly Polarized (RHCP) electro-magnetic energy, wherein an information content of the RHCP electro-magnetic energy is substantially the same as an information content of the LHCP electro-magnetic energy and the gateway is configured to process signals associated with the substantially LHCP and RHCP electro-magnetic energy to maximize a predetermined performance measure and to recover information transmitted by the radiotelephone.

95. A gateway according to claim 94 wherein the predetermined performance measure is a margin relative to a threshold level associated with a return link signal.

96. A gateway according to claim 95 wherein the threshold level is a minimum signal level.

97. A space-based network comprising a first number of satellites each of which is configured to receive communications from radiotelephones and a second number of satellites each one of which is configured to transmit communications to radiotelephones, wherein the first number of satellites is greater than or equal to the second number of satellites and at least one satellite of the first number of satellites is configured to receive communications from a radiotelephone via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) path between the at least one satellite and the radiotelephone and substantially concurrently over at least two different polarizations, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to radiate substantially concurrently at least first and second signals over the at least two different polarizations respectively and over the at least one direct LOS path and wherein the first signal comprises an information content that is substantially the same as an information content of the second signal.

98. A space-based network according to claim 97 wherein each of the satellites that is configured to transmit communications to radiotelephones is configured to radiate substantially Left Hand Circularly Polarized (LHCP) or Right Hand Circularly Polarized (RHCP) electro-magnetic energy and each of the satellites that is configured to receive communications from radiotelephones is configured to receive concurrently substantially LHCP and RHCP electro-magnetic energy.

99. A gateway configured to receive a plurality of signals from at least one satellite via a respective plurality of substantially distinct dimensions and/or via a respective plurality of substantially distinct spatial paths, wherein a first signal of the plurality of signals that is received at the gateway over a first dimension and/or first spatial path contains interference associated with a second signal of the plurality of signals that is received at the gateway over a second dimension and/or second spatial path and wherein the gateway comprises an interference reducer configured to reduce the interference of the first signal by processing the first signal and the second signal.

100. A gateway according to claim 99 wherein the interference reducer reduces the interference of the first signal by processing information that is inserted in the first signal by the at least one satellite prior to transmitting the first signal to the gateway over the first dimension and/or first spatial path.

101. A space-based network comprising at least one satellite and at least one gateway, wherein the at least one gateway is configured to receive a plurality of signals from the at least one satellite and the at least one satellite is configured to precompensate at least one signal of the plurality of signals prior to transmission of the at least one signal to the at least one gateway responsive to a measure of an error received at the at least one satellite from the at least one gateway.

102. A space-based network according to claim 101 wherein the at least one gateway derives the measure of an error and sends the measure of an error to the at least one satellite.

103. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

at least one satellite that is configured to receive wireless communications from a radiotelephone; and

at least one satellite that is configured to transmit wireless communications to the radiotelephone, wherein at least one satellite is configured to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephone over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations substantially simultaneously over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and the radiotelephone is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

104. A space-based network for a satellite radiotelephone system comprising:

at least one satellite that is configured to receive and transmit wireless communications from/to radiotelephones, wherein the at least one satellite is configured to receive wireless communications from the radiotelephones over at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations substantially simultaneously over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and each one of the radiotelephones is configured to radiate electro-magnetic energy substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and to radiate substantially the same information over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

108. A method of providing wireless communications, the method comprising:

transmitting information to a space-based network by radiating electro-magnetic energy from at least one radiotelephone substantially concurrently over each one of at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and radiating substantially the same information substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations; and

using at least one satellite of the space-based network to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone substantially concurrently over each one of the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations and relaying the information to at least one gateway of the space-based network.

109. A method according to claim 108 wherein the at least one satellite comprises two satellites each one of which is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein each one of the two satellites comprises at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

110. A method according to claim 108 wherein the at least one satellite comprises first and second antennas each of which is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein each one of the first and second antennas is configured to provide information to at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

111. A method according to claim 109 wherein at least one of the two satellites comprises first and second antennas each of which is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein each one of the first and second antennas is configured to provide information to at least two processors that are associated respectively with the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations.

112. A method according to claim 108 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and/or to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone and wherein the at least one antenna comprises a diameter that exceeds 12 meters.

113. A method according to claim 108 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one transmit and receive satellite that is substantially collocated with a receive-only satellite.

114. A method according to claim 109 wherein the two satellites comprise two transmit and receive satellites, at least one of which is substantially collocated with a receive-only satellite.

115. A method according to claim 108 wherein the at least one satellite comprises a transmit antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

116. A method according to claim 108 wherein the at least one satellite comprises at least one transmit and receive antenna that is configured to transmit and receive information to/from the at least one radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

117. A method according to claim 114 wherein at least one of the two transmit and receive satellites comprises a transmit antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and a receive antenna that is configured to receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

118. A method according to claim 114 wherein at least one of the two transmit and receive satellites comprises at least one transmit and receive antenna that is configured to transmit information to the at least one radiotelephone and receive information from the at least one radiotelephone.

119. A method according to claim 108 further comprising:

communicating between at least one gateway and the at least one satellite.

120. A method according to claim 108 further comprising:

using a feeder link processor that is configured to combine signals that are received by at least one service-link antenna into a feeder link signal that is transmitted to a gateway in a plurality of substantially orthogonal dimensions and/or polarizations.

121. A method according to claim 120 further comprising:

using a gateway that is configured to receive the feeder link signal.

122. A method according to claim 120 wherein a bandwidth of the feeder link signal is greater than or equal to an aggregate bandwidth of the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna.

123. A method according to claim 120 further comprising:

using a plurality of gateways, each of which is configured to receive a feeder link signal.

124. A method according to claim 120 wherein the signals that are received by the at least one service-link antenna have an aggregate bandwidth that is greater than a bandwidth of the feeder link signal.

125. A method according to claim 123 further comprising:

using a combiner that is configured to combine first and second feeder link signals that are received by respective first and second gateways.

126. A method according to claim 108 further comprising:

providing an ancillary terrestrial network that is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one radiotelephone using frequencies of a satellite frequency band.

127. A method according to claim 108, further comprising:

transmitting by the at least one radiotelephone information to the space-based network via at least one direct Line-of-Sight (LOS) wireless link between the at least one radiotelephone and the at least one satellite by radiating electro-magnetic energy over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over the at least two substantially orthogonal polarizations; and

receiving by the at least one satellite information from the at least one radiotelephone over the at least one direct LOS wireless link and over at least two spatially different antenna patterns.

128. A radiotelephone that is configured to communicate with the space-based network according to the method of claim 108.

129. A gateway that is configured to communicate with the space-based component according to the method of claim 108.

130. A satellite that is configured to communicate according to the method of claim 108.