Bidirectional satellite communications

A system comprising one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to:

• receive forward channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at a plurality of forward channel receivers communicably connected to the system, wherein at least one of the forward channel receivers receives (1) a forward channel laser communication beam transmitted from a ground station and (2) an E-band frequency having a bandwidth of 81-86 GHz;
• based on the forward channel data, generate a plurality of forward channel downlink signals, each of the forward channel downlink signals comprising at least a portion of the forward channel data;
• and
• for each of the forward channel downlink signals, transmit the forward channel downlink signal to one of a plurality of forward channel transmitters communicably connected to the system, wherein the forward channel transmitters transmit, using different frequencies, user beams to endpoint devices, wherein the user beams are derived from the forward channel laser and MMW communication beams.

A method of transmitting signals by a transceiver in geosynchronous orbit comprising:

• by a plurality of forward channel receivers, receiving forward channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams, wherein at least one of the forward channel receivers receives (1) a forward channel laser communication beam transmitted from a ground station and (2) an E-band frequency having a bandwidth of 81-86 GHz;
• by one or more processors of the transceiver and based on the forward channel data, generating a plurality of forward channel downlink signals, each of the forward channel downlink signals comprising at least a portion of the forward channel data;
• by a plurality of forward channel transmitters having different frequencies, for each of the forward channel downlink signals, transmitting one or more user beams to one or more endpoint devices, wherein the user beams are derived from the forward channel laser and MMW communication beams;
• by a plurality of return channel receivers, receiving return channel data transmitted by one or more uplink beams received at the return channel receivers, wherein the return channel receivers receive user beams from the endpoint devices;
• by the one or more processors of the transceiver and based on the return channel data, generate a single return channel downlink signal comprising the return channel data;
• and
• by at least one return channel transmitter, transmitting the return channel downlink signal to a ground station.