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Hub communications satellite and system

  • US 6,009,306 A
  • Filed: 02/05/1996
  • Issued: 12/28/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A satellite communications system for facilitating communications between communications ground stations of Earth, comprising:

  • a communications constellation distributed throughout one orbit around said Earth, said communications constellation formed with;

    a) a plurality of satellites which each occupies a different position in said orbit and therefore has a pair of adjacent nearest-neighbor satellites;

    b) a pair of crosslink interfaces positioned in each of said satellites to facilitate communications crosslinks with each of its nearest-neighbor satellites;

    c) a plurality of groundlink interfaces which are each positioned in a different one of said satellites to facilitate a communications groundlink between that satellite and one of said communications ground stations; and

    (d) at least one pair of cross-orbit crosslink interfaces which are each positioned in a different one of a pair of satellites that are not nearest-neighbor satellites to facilitate a cross-orbit communications link across said communications constellation;

    wherein said cross-orbit communications link is absent in at least one of said satellites;

    and wherein the number of pairs of cross-orbit crosslink interfaces is sufficient to prevent any one of said satellites from being separated from a cross-orbit communications link by more than one intervening satellite;

    each of said satellites of said communications constellation thereby provided with at least three alternate communication paths to each other of said satellites which enhances communications routing flexibility between said satellites and said communications ground stations.

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