Communications relay satellite with a single-axis gimbal
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorRichard P. Welle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for simultaneously receiving and transmitting data in space may include a receiver configured to receive an incoming beam transmitted from a source along a receive vector between the source and the receiver. The apparatus may also include a transmitter to generate a transmitted beam along a transmit vector. The apparatus may further include a single-axis gimbal configured to rotate the transmit vector about an axis substantially perpendicular to the receive vector, and an attitude-control system configured to rotate the apparatus about an axis parallel to the receive vector or the transmit vector.
Claims20
A satellite configured to simultaneously receive and transmit data in space, comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive an incoming beam transmitted from a source along a receive vector between the source and the receiver;
- an attitude-control system configured to rotate the satellite about an axis parallel to the receive vector;
- a transmitter configured to generate a transmit beam along a transmit vector;
- and
- a gimbal having a single rotation axis, the single rotation axis of the gimbal is substantially perpendicular to the receive vector, wherein
- the gimbal is configured to rotate a transmit vector using a mirror attached to the gimbal about the single rotation axis that is substantially perpendicular to the receive vector, and
- the receiver comprises an optical receiver configured to receive the incoming beam, and optically amplify the incoming beam prior to converting the incoming beam to an electronic signal.
A satellite configured to receive and transmit data in space, comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive an incoming laser beam from a source;
- an attitude control system configured to rotate the satellite about an axis parallel to the incoming laser beam;
- and
- a gimbal having a single rotation axis configured to rotate a mirror about a single rotation axis to allow a transmitter to transmit the laser beam to a destination, wherein
- the single rotation axis of the gimbal is substantially perpendicular to the incoming laser beam, and
- the receiver comprises an optical receiver configured to receive the incoming laser beam, and optically amplify the incoming laser beam prior to converting the incoming laser beam to an electronic signal.
A satellite configured to simultaneously receive and transmit data in space, comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive an incoming beam transmitted from a source along a receive vector between the source and the receiver;
- an attitude-control system configured to rotate the satellite about an axis parallel to the receive vector;
- a transmitter configured to generate a transmit beam along a transmit vector;
- and
- a gimbal having a single rotation axis, the single rotation axis of the gimbal is substantially perpendicular to the receive vector, wherein
- the gimbal is configured to rotate the transmitter attached to the gimbal about the single rotation axis, and
- the receiver comprises an optical receiver configured to receive the incoming beam, and optically amplify the incoming beam prior to converting the incoming beam to an electronic signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.