Orbital network layering in satellite platforms

• US 9,998,207 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vector Launch, Inc.
• Inventors: Coleman, Shaun, Garber, Darren D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US15/653,678
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 455 131, 455 111, 455 121, 455 133, 455 16, 455427, 455428, 4554221, 455403, 455445, 455431, 4554261, 4554262, 4555501, 455 301- 306, 725 62- 72, 342352
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/124 using a combination of metrics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/36 Backward learning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/32 for defining a routing cluster membership

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software described herein provide enhancements for deploying communication networks in clusters of satellite devices. In one example, a first subset of satellite devices is configured to orbit in a first orbital layer, and a second subset of satellite devices is configured to orbit in a second orbital layer. A communication network is formed among the satellite devices and is configured to selectively exchange communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network.

Claims

1. A satellite cluster, comprising:

first subset of satellite devices orbiting in a first orbital layer;

second subset of satellite devices orbiting in a second orbital layer;

a communication network formed among the satellite devices and configured to selectively exchange communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network;

wherein a forward communication path is formed in at least the first orbital layer that circulates traffic of the communication network with a forward helicity about an orbital direction of at least the first subset of satellite devices; and

wherein a reverse communication path is formed in at least the first orbital layer that circulates traffic of the communication network with a reverse helicity about the orbital direction of at least the first subset of satellite devices.

2. The satellite cluster of claim 1, wherein the second orbital layer comprises an orbit with a second orbital distance lower to earth than the first orbital layer;

and wherein the communication network comprises satellite devices from among both the first subset of satellite devices and the second subset of satellite devices.

3. The satellite cluster of claim 1, comprising:

during routing of traffic of the communication network, ones of the satellite devices configured to determine a traffic direction among the forward communication path and the reverse communication path over which to route the traffic based in part on the operational status of the forward communication path and the reverse communication path.

4. The satellite cluster of claim 1, comprising:

based at least on the operational status of the communication network indicating the forward communication path of the communication network is experiencing a failure, ones of the satellite devices configured to route the network traffic for delivery to target satellite devices using the reverse communication path.

5. The satellite cluster of claim 1, comprising:

ones of the satellite devices configured to receive clustering definitions delivered by a ground system, wherein the clustering definitions indicate membership assignments for the first subset of satellite devices and the second subset of satellite devices, and wherein the clustering definitions further indicate a configuration establishing the forward communication path and the reverse communication path within the communication network.

6. The satellite cluster of claim 1, comprising:

a source satellite device configured to identify network traffic for delivery to a ground system, and transfer the network traffic for delivery to the ground system over the communication network; and

based at least on the operational status of the communication network indicating a target satellite device that can presently communicate with the ground system, one or more of the satellite devices configured to route the network traffic for delivery to the ground system by at least transferring the network traffic from the source satellite device over the one or more satellite devices to the target satellite for delivery of the network traffic to the ground system via the target satellite.

7. The satellite cluster of claim 6, wherein the source satellite is in a different orbital layer than the target satellite device.

8. The satellite cluster of claim 1, wherein at least one of the satellite devices orbiting in the first orbital layer comprises a virtualized execution system configured to maintain associated state information related to execution of virtual nodes;

and comprising;

the communication network configured to transfer the associated state information over the communication network for delivery to at least one peer satellite device orbiting in the second orbital layer and configured as a backup to the at least one of the satellite devices.

9. A method of operating a satellite cluster, the method comprising:

establishing a first subset of satellite devices within in a first orbital layer;

establishing a second subset of satellite devices within in a second orbital layer; and

in communication network formed among the satellite devices;

selectively exchanging communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network;

establishing a forward communication path in at least the first orbital layer that circulates traffic of the communication network with a forward helicity about an orbital direction of at least the first subset of satellite devices; and

establishing a reverse communication path in at least the first orbital layer that circulates traffic of the communication network with a reverse helicity about the orbital direction of at least the first subset of satellite devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second orbital layer comprises an orbit with a second orbital distance lower to earth than the first orbital layer;

and wherein the communication network comprises satellite devices from among both the first subset of satellite devices and the second subset of satellite devices.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

during routing of traffic of the communication network, determining a traffic direction among the forward communication path and the reverse communication path over which to route the traffic based in part on the operational status of the forward communication path and the reverse communication path.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

based at least on the operational status of the communication network indicating the forward communication path of the communication network is experiencing a failure, routing the network traffic for delivery to target satellite devices using the reverse communication path.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in ones of the satellite devices, receiving clustering definitions delivered by a ground system, wherein the clustering definitions indicate membership assignments for the first subset of satellite devices and the second subset of satellite devices, and wherein the clustering definitions further indicate a configuration establishing the forward communication path and the reverse communication path within the communication network.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in a source satellite device, identifying network traffic for delivery to a ground system, and transferring the network traffic for delivery to the ground system over the communication network; and

based at least on the operational status of the communication network indicating a target satellite device that can presently communicate with the ground system, routing over one or more of the satellite devices the network traffic for delivery to the ground system by at least transferring the network traffic from the source satellite device over the one or more satellite devices to the target satellite for delivery of the network traffic to the ground system via the target satellite.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the source satellite is in a different orbital layer than the target satellite device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the satellite devices orbiting in the first orbital layer comprises a virtualized execution system configured to maintain associated state information related to execution of virtual nodes;

and further comprising;

in the communication network, transferring the associated state information over the communication network for delivery to at least one peer satellite device orbiting in the second orbital layer and configured as a backup to the at least one of the satellite devices.

17. A multi-layered satellite cluster, comprising:

first subset of satellite devices orbiting at a first orbital distance;

second subset of satellite devices orbiting at a second orbital distance lower to earth than the first orbital layer;

a communication network formed among the satellite devices and configured to selectively exchange communications among the first subset of satellite devices and the second subset of satellite devices;

a forward communication path formed among members of the first subset and the second subset that routes traffic of the communication network in a first direction; and

a reverse communication path formed among the members of the first subset and the second subset that routes traffic of the communication network in a second direction opposite the first direction.

18. The multi-layered satellite cluster of claim 17, comprising:

during routing of traffic of the communication network, each of the members configured to determine a traffic direction among the forward communication path and the reverse communication path over which to route the traffic based in part on an operational status of the forward communication path and the reverse communication path.

19. A satellite cluster, comprising:

first subset of satellite devices orbiting in a first orbital layer;

second subset of satellite devices orbiting in a second orbital layer;

a communication network formed among the satellite devices and configured to selectively exchange communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network;

a source satellite device configured to identify network traffic for delivery to a ground system, and transfer the network traffic for delivery to the ground system over the communication network; and

based at least on the operational status of the communication network indicating a target satellite device that can presently communicate with the ground system, one or more of the satellite devices configured to route the network traffic for delivery to the ground system by at least transferring the network traffic from the source satellite device over the one or more satellite devices to the target satellite for delivery of the network traffic to the ground system via the target satellite.

20. A satellite cluster, comprising:

first subset of satellite devices orbiting in a first orbital layer, wherein at least one of the satellite devices orbiting in the first orbital layer comprises a virtualized execution system configured to maintain associated state information related to execution of virtual nodes;

second subset of satellite devices orbiting in a second orbital layer;

a communication network formed among the satellite devices and configured to selectively exchange communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network; and

the communication network configured to transfer the associated state information over the communication network for delivery to at least one peer satellite device orbiting in the second orbital layer and configured as a backup to the at least one of the satellite devices.

21. A method of operating a satellite cluster, the method comprising:

establishing a first subset of satellite devices within in a first orbital layer;

establishing a second subset of satellite devices within in a second orbital layer; and

in communication network formed among the satellite devices, selectively exchanging communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network;

in a source satellite device, identifying network traffic for delivery to a ground system, and transferring the network traffic for delivery to the ground system over the communication network; and

based at least on the operational status of the communication network indicating a target satellite device that can presently communicate with the ground system, routing over one or more of the satellite devices the network traffic for delivery to the ground system by at least transferring the network traffic from the source satellite device over the one or more satellite devices to the target satellite for delivery of the network traffic to the ground system via the target satellite.

22. A method of operating a satellite cluster, the method comprising:

establishing a first subset of satellite devices within in a first orbital layer, wherein at least one of the satellite devices orbiting in the first orbital layer comprises a virtualized execution system configured to maintain associated state information related to execution of virtual nodes;

establishing a second subset of satellite devices within in a second orbital layer;

in communication network formed among the satellite devices, selectively exchanging communications among the first orbital layer and the second orbital layer based at least in part on an operational status of the communication network; and

in the communication network, transferring the associated state information over the communication network for delivery to at least one peer satellite device orbiting in the second orbital layer and configured as a backup to the at least one of the satellite devices.