Universal replacement communications satellite

• US 6,192,217 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: AssureSat, Inc.
• Inventors: Farrell, Jerald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aoki, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US09/346,264
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/13.2, 455/13.3, 455/427
• US Class Current: 455/13.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18519 Operations control, administration or maintenance

Abstract

A practicable universal replacement C band/Ku band communications satellite designed for orbiting the Earth in a storage orbit and a method for its use as a replacement for a failed satellite are disclosed. The universal replacement satellite can be controlled by an external control system (e.g., a ground station) and is reconfigurable by remote command (e.g., from a ground station). The satellite is designed to make several fast moves during its design life from its storage slot to the geostationary slot to which it needs to move when it is to act as a replacement for a failed satellite. The ability to make fast moves helps minimize down time. After its then-current mission of sparing a particular failed satellite has been completed, the communications payload can be turned off and the satellite can be moved back to its storage slot to await its next replacement mission. Various design features allow it to be able to satisfactorily mimic (that is, emulate) the communications capabilities of a very high percentage of the existing geostationary C band and Ku band satellites while still being economically and otherwise practicable. The satellite can also contain means for handling BSS signals so that the satellite can act as a replacement for both FSS and BSS failed satellites.

Claims

1. A universal replacement communications satellite designed for orbiting the Earth in a geostationary orbit, which can be controlled by an external control system, which is reconfigurable, and which can emulate the communications performance of a substantial percentage of existing geostationary C band and Ku band communications satellites and therefore for which it can be a replacement, the universal replacement satellite being designed to receive uplink C band and Ku band signals and to output C band and Ku band downlink signals, the universal replacement communications satellite comprising:

(a) Ku band processing means for (i) receiving Ku band uplink signals in the channels of three 250 MHz uplink bands of 13.75-14.00 GHz, 14.00-14.25 GHz, and 14.25-14.50 GHz, each uplink band having a plurality of uplink Ku band channels, (ii) amplifying the signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting any of those amplified, reduced-frequency Ku band signals as Ku band downlink signals in the channels of any of six 250 MHz bands within the 10.95-11.20 GHz, 11.45-11.70 GHz, 11.70-12.20 GHz, and 12.25-12.75 GHz downlink Ku bands, each downlink Ku band having a plurality of downlink Ku band channels;

(b) two or more Ku band downlink antennas, each antenna capable of outputting a downlink beam comprising Ku band downlink signals, each downlink beam being separately directable to different locations on Earth;

(c) means for directing the Ku band downlink signals to any one of the two or more Ku band downlink antennas;

(d) C band processing means for (i) receiving C band uplink signals in the channels of two uplink bands of 5.925 to 6.425 GHz and 6.425 to 6.725 GHz, each uplink band having a plurality of uplink C band channels, (ii) amplifying the signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting those amplified, reduced-frequency C band signals as C band downlink signals in the channels of the 3.70-4.20 GHz and 3.40-3.70 GHz downlink C bands, each downlink C band having a plurality of downlink C band channels;

(e) two or more C band downlink antennas, each antenna capable of outputting a downlink beam comprising downlink C band signals, each downlink beam being separately directable to different locations on Earth;

(f) means for directing the C band downlink signals to any one of the two or more C band downlink antennas;

(g) a propulsion subsystem designed to allow the satellite to make at least three fast moves, each of at least three degrees per day, during the design life of the satellite;

(h) a power subsystem to provide electrical power for satellite operation;

(i) a telemetry and command subsystem to allow the satellite to monitor itself and for communicating with the external control system, the subsystem comprising a telemetry sub-subsystem that can transmit on at least two different frequencies and a command sub-subsystem that can receive on at least two different frequencies;

(j) an attitude and orbit control subsystem for helping to properly orient the satellite with respect to Earth;

(k) a thermal control subsystem for helping to maintain the satellite within the proper temperature range for operation; and

(l) means to reconfigure the satellite, said means comprising (i) means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct a bundle of at least two but of fewer than all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands, (ii) means to remotely adjust the downlink beam from at least one of the Ku band downlink antennas to direct the beam to different locations on Earth, (iii) means to remotely adjust the downlink beam from at least one of the C band downlink antennas to direct the beam to different locations on Earth, (iv) means to remotely change the footprint of the downlink beam from at least one of the downlink antennas, and (v) means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas.

2. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein the C band processing means can output those amplified, reduced-frequency C band signals as C band downlink signals in the channels of either of the 3.70-4.20 GHz and 3.40-3.70 GHz downlink C bands.

3. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct some but not all of the signals in one of the Ku uplink bands to any one of the six downlink Ku bands and to direct other signals in that one of the Ku uplink bands to the same or a different one of the six downlink Ku bands.

4. The replacement satellite of claim 3 wherein the means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct the signals comprises means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to change the frequencies to which the signals are down converted.

5. The replacement satellite of claim 1 further comprising at least two uplink C band antennas and at least two uplink Ku band antennas, all of the uplink antennas being independently steerable to different locations on Earth.

6. The replacement satellite of claim 5 in which the uplink antennas also function as the downlink antennas.

7. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein it is designed so that at the end of its design life, the signals of at least twenty-four uplink Ku band channels can be processed by the Ku band processing means and the signals of at least twenty-four uplink C band channels can be processed by the C band processing means.

8. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from linear to circular or from circular to linear.

9. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from horizontal to vertical or from vertical to horizontal.

10. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from clockwise to counterclockwise or from counterclockwise to clockwise.

11. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein some of the Ku band channels have a standard bandwidth.

12. The replacement satellite of claim 1 wherein all of the Ku band channels have a standard bandwidth.

13. The replacement satellite of claim 12 wherein the standard bandwidth is nominally 36 MHz.

14. The replacement satellite of claim 1 further comprising BSS band processing means comprising means for (i) receiving BSS uplink signals at frequencies ranging from 17.3 GHz to 18.1 GHz, (ii) amplifying the BSS signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting those amplified, reduced-frequency BSS band signals as BSS downlink signals in the channels of the bands provided for downlink Ku band signals.

63. A method for replacing a geostationary communications satellite handling C band and Ku band signals, the method comprising providing the universal replacement communications satellite of claim 1, placing the replacement satellite in a suitable geostationary slot, and reconfiguring the satellite to emulate the communications performance of the satellite being replaced.

64. The method of claim 63 further comprising placing the replacement satellite in a storage orbit and moving the replacement satellite from its storage orbit to the suitable geostationary slot by means of a combined drift and inclination maneuver.

15. A universal replacement communications satellite designed for orbiting the Earth in a geostationary orbit, which can be controlled by an external control system, which is reconfigurable, and which can emulate the communications performance of a substantial percentage of existing geostationary C band and Ku band communications satellites and therefore for which it can be a replacement, the universal replacement satellite being designed to receive uplink C band and Ku band signals and to output C band and Ku band downlink signals, the universal replacement communications satellite comprising:

(a) Ku band processing means for (i) receiving Ku band uplink signals in the channels of three 250 MHz uplink bands of 13.75-14.00 GHz, 14.00-14.25 GHz, and 14.25-14.50 GHz, each uplink band having a plurality of uplink Ku band channels, (ii) amplifying the signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting any of those amplified, reduced-frequency Ku band signals as Ku band downlink signals in the channels of any of six 250 MHz bands within the 10.95-11.20 GHz, 11.45-11.70 GHz, 11.70-12.20 GHz, and 12.25-12.75 GHz downlink Ku bands, each downlink Ku band having a plurality of downlink Ku band channels;

(b) two or more Ku band downlink antennas, each antenna capable of outputting a downlink beam comprising Ku band downlink signals, each downlink beam being separately directable to different locations on Earth;

(c) means for directing the Ku band downlink signals to any one of the two or more Ku band downlink antennas;

(d) C band processing means for (i) receiving C band uplink signals in the channels of two uplink bands of about 5.925 to 6.425 GHz and 6.425 to 6.725 GHz, each uplink band having a plurality of uplink C band channels, (ii) amplifying the signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting those amplified, reduced-frequency C band signals as C band downlink signals in the channels of the 3.70-4.20 GHz and 3.40-3.70 GHz downlink C bands, each downlink C band having a plurality of downlink C band channels;

(e) two or more C band downlink antennas, each antenna capable of outputting a downlink beam comprising downlink C band signals, each downlink beam being separately directable to different locations on Earth;

(f) means for directing the C band downlink signals to any one of the two or more C band downlink antennas;

(g) a propulsion subsystem designed to allow the satellite to make at least three fast moves during the design life of the satellite;

(h) a power subsystem to provide electrical power for satellite operation;

(i) a telemetry and command subsystem to allow the satellite to monitor itself and for communicating with the external control system;

(j) an attitude and orbit control subsystem for helping to properly orient the satellite with respect to Earth;

(k) a thermal control subsystem for helping to maintain the satellite within the proper temperature range for operation; and

(l) means to reconfigure the satellite.

16. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands.

17. The replacement satellite of claim 16 wherein the means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands comprises means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to change the frequencies to which the signals are down converted.

18. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct a bundle of fewer than all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands.

19. The replacement satellite of claim 18 wherein the bundle comprises at least two signals.

20. The replacement satellite of claim 19 wherein the bundle comprises six signals.

21. The replacement satellite of claim 18 wherein the means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct a bundle of fewer than all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands comprises means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to change the frequencies to which the signals are down converted.

22. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct some but not all of the signals in one of the Ku uplink bands to any one of the six downlink Ku bands and to direct other signals in that one of the Ku uplink bands to the same or a different one of the six downlink Ku bands.

23. The replacement satellite of claim 22 wherein the means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct the signals comprises means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to change the frequencies to which the signals are down converted.

24. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the downlink beam from at least one of the Ku band downlink antennas to direct the beam to different locations on Earth.

25. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the downlink beam from at least one of the C band downlink antennas to direct the beam to different locations on Earth.

26. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the C band processing means can output the amplified, reduced-frequency C band signals as C band downlink signals in the channels of either of the 3.70-4.20 GHz and 3.40-3.70 GHz downlink C bands.

27. The replacement satellite of claim 15 further comprising means to remotely change the footprint of the downlink beam from at least one of the Ku band downlink antennas and from at least one of the C band downlink antennas.

28. The replacement satellite of claim 15 further comprising at least two uplink C band antennas and at least two uplink Ku band antennas, all of the uplink antennas being independently steerable to different locations on Earth.

29. The replacement satellite of claim 28 in which the uplink antennas also function as the downlink antennas.

30. The replacement satellite of claim 15 in which the propulsion system is designed to allow the satellite to make at least three fast moves, each of at least five degrees per day, during the design life of the satellite.

31. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the Ku band processing means comprises either a frequency synthesizer or fixed oscillators for down converting the frequencies of the Ku band signals and the C band processing means comprises either a frequency synthesizer or fixed oscillators for down converting the frequencies of the C band signals.

32. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein it is designed so that at the end of its design life, the signals of at least twenty-four uplink Ku band channels can be processed by the Ku band processing means and the signals of at least twenty-four uplink C band channels can be processed by the C band processing means.

33. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the telemetry and command subsystem comprises a telemetry sub-subsystem that can transmit on at least two different frequencies and a command sub-subsystem that can receive on at least two different frequencies.

34. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas.

35. The replacement satellite of claim 34 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from linear to circular or from circular to linear.

36. The replacement satellite of claim 34 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from horizontal to vertical or from vertical to horizontal.

37. The replacement satellite of claim 34 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from clockwise to counterclockwise or from counterclockwise to clockwise.

38. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein some of the Ku band channels have a standard bandwidth.

39. The replacement satellite of claim 15 wherein all of the Ku band channels have a standard bandwidth.

40. The replacement satellite of claim 39 wherein the standard bandwidth is nominally 36 MHz.

41. The replacement satellite of claim 15 further comprising BSS band processing means comprising means for (i) receiving BSS uplink signals at frequencies ranging from 17.3 GHz to 18.1 GHz, (ii) amplifying the BSS signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting those amplified, reduced-frequency BSS band signals as BSS downlink signals in the channels of the bands provided for downlink Ku band signals.

65. A method for replacing a geostationary communications satellite handling C band and Ku band signals, the method comprising providing the universal replacement communications satellite of claim 15, placing the replacement satellite in a suitable geostationary slot, and reconfiguring the satellite to emulate the communications performance of the satellite being replaced.

66. The method of claim 65 further comprising placing the replacement satellite in a storage orbit and moving the replacement satellite from its storage orbit to the suitable geostationary slot by means of a combined drift and inclination maneuver.

42. A universal replacement communications satellite designed for orbiting the Earth in a geostationary orbit, which can be controlled by an external control system, which is reconfigurable, and which can emulate the communications performance of a substantial percentage of existing geostationary C band and Ku band communications satellites and therefore for which it can be a replacement, the universal replacement satellite being designed to receive uplink C band and Ku band signals and to output C band and Ku band downlink signals, the universal replacement communications satellite comprising:

(a) Ku band processing means for (i) receiving Ku band uplink signals in the channels of three uplink bands, each uplink band having a plurality of uplink Ku band channels, (ii) amplifying the signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting any of those amplified, reduced-frequency Ku band signals as Ku band downlink signals in the channels of any of at least four downlink Ku bands, each downlink Ku band having a plurality of downlink Ku band channels;

(b) two or more Ku band downlink antennas, each antenna capable of outputting a downlink beam comprising Ku band downlink signals, each downlink beam being separately directable to different locations on Earth;

(c) means for directing the Ku band downlink signals to any one of the two or more Ku band downlink antennas;

(d) C band processing means for (i) receiving C band uplink signals in the channels of at least one uplink band, each uplink band having a plurality of uplink C band channels, (ii) amplifying the signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting those amplified, reduced-frequency C band signals as C band downlink signals in the channels of at least one downlink C band, each downlink C band having a plurality of downlink C band channels;

(e) one or more C band downlink antennas, each antenna capable of outputting a downlink beam comprising downlink C band signals, each downlink beam being separately directable to different locations on Earth;

(f) means for directing the C band downlink signals to any one of the one or more C band downlink antennas;

(g) a propulsion subsystem designed to allow the satellite to make at least two fast moves during the design life of the satellite;

(h) a power subsystem to provide electrical power for satellite operation;

(i) a telemetry and command subsystem to allow the satellite to monitor itself and for communicating with the external control system, the subsystem comprising a telemetry sub-subsystem that can transmit on at least two different frequencies and a command sub-subsystem that can receive on at least two different frequencies;

(j) an attitude and orbit control subsystem for helping to properly orient the satellite with respect to Earth;

(k) a thermal control subsystem for helping to maintain the satellite within the proper temperature range for operation; and

(l) means to reconfigure the satellite, said means comprising (i) means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct a bundle of at least two but of fewer than all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands, (ii) means to remotely adjust the downlink beam from at least one of the Ku band downlink antennas to direct the beam to different locations on Earth, (iii) means to remotely adjust the downlink beam from at least one of the one or more C band downlink antennas to direct the beam to different locations on Earth, (iv) means to remotely change the footprint of the downlink beam from at least one of the downlink antennas, and (v) means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas.

43. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the means to reconfigure the satellite includes means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct some but not all of the signals in one of the Ku uplink bands to any one of the at least four downlink Ku bands and to direct other signals in that one of the Ku uplink bands to the same or a different one of the at least four downlink Ku bands.

44. The replacement satellite of claim 43 wherein the means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct the signals comprises means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to change the frequencies to which the signals are down converted.

45. The replacement satellite of claim 42 further comprising one or more uplink C band antennas and one or more uplink Ku band antennas, all of the uplink antennas being independently steerable to different locations on Earth.

46. The replacement satellite of claim 45 in which the uplink antennas also function as the downlink antennas.

47. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein it is designed so that at the end of its design life, the signals of at least twenty-four uplink Ku band channels can be processed by the Ku band processing means and the signals of at least twenty-four uplink C band channels can be processed by the C band processing means.

48. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the bundle comprises six signals.

49. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to direct a bundle of at least two but of fewer than all of the signals in each of the uplink Ku bands to any one of the downlink Ku bands comprises means to remotely adjust the Ku band processing means to change the frequencies to which the signals are down converted.

50. The replacement satellite of claim 42 further comprising means to remotely change the footprint of the downlink beam from at least one of the Ku band downlink antennas.

51. The replacement satellite of claim 42 having at least two downlink C band antennas and further comprising at least two uplink C band antennas and at least two uplink Ku band antennas, all of the uplink antennas being independently steerable to different locations on Earth.

52. The replacement satellite of claim 51 in which the uplink antennas also function as the downlink antennas.

53. The replacement satellite of claim 42 in which the propulsion system is designed to allow the satellite to make at least three fast moves, each of at least five degrees per day, during the design life of the satellite.

54. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the Ku band processing means comprises either a frequency synthesizer or fixed oscillators for down converting the frequencies of the Ku band signals and the C band processing means comprises either a frequency synthesizer or fixed oscillators for down converting the frequencies of the C band signals.

55. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein it is designed so that at the start of its design life, the signals of at least thirty-two uplink Ku band channels can be processed by the Ku band processing means and the signals of at least thirty-two uplink C band channels can be processed by the C band processing means.

56. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from linear to circular or from circular to linear.

57. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from horizontal to vertical or from vertical to horizontal.

58. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein the means to remotely change the polarity of at least one of the downlink antennas comprises means to remotely change the polarity from clockwise to counterclockwise or from counterclockwise to clockwise.

59. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein some of the Ku band channels have a standard bandwidth.

60. The replacement satellite of claim 42 wherein all of the Ku band channels have a standard bandwidth.

61. The replacement satellite of claim 60 wherein the standard bandwidth is nominally 36 MHz.

62. The replacement satellite of claim 42 further comprising BSS band processing means comprising means for (i) receiving BSS uplink signals at frequencies ranging from 17.3 GHz to 18.1 GHz, (ii) amplifying the BSS signals, (iii) down converting their frequencies, and (iv) outputting those amplified, reduced-frequency BSS band signals as BSS downlink signals in the channels of the bands provided for downlink Ku band signals.

67. A method for replacing a geostationary communications satellite handling C band and Ku band signals, the method comprising providing the universal replacement communications satellite of claim 42, placing the replacement satellite in a suitable geostationary slot, and reconfiguring the satellite to emulate the communications performance of the satellite being replaced.

68. The method of claim 67 further comprising placing the replacement satellite in a storage orbit and moving the replacement satellite from its storage orbit to the suitable geostationary slot by means of a combined drift and inclination maneuver.