System and method for an aircraft communicating with multiple satellite constellations

A satellite communication system for an aircraft communicating with at least one satellite constellation, the satellite communication system comprising:

• a phased array antenna system;
• and
• a transceiver configured to communicate with a plurality of satellite constellations, the transceiver being configured to support a plurality of links to two or more satellites in at least one satellite constellation of the satellite constellations via the phased array antenna system, wherein the phased array antenna system further comprises:
• (a) a pair of low profile diversity satellite communication antenna assemblies, each of the antenna assemblies displaced laterally substantially in parallel along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft, each of the antenna assemblies including at least two receiver electronically scanned arrays (ESAs), at least one transmitter electronically scanned array (ESA), the antenna assemblies respectively positioned on two opposing lateral sides of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, wherein a pointing direction of the first antenna assembly is offset by between 30 and 40 degrees in a clockwise direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and a pointing direction of the second antenna assembly is offset by between 30 and 40 degrees in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft;
• (b) a low drag housing for each of the antenna assemblies, each housing having an overall height of less than 6.0 cm;
• and
• (c) an adapter plate for attaching each of the antenna assemblies to the aircraft, wherein both of the offset in the clockwise direction and the offset in the counterclockwise direction are 35 degrees.

A phased array satellite communication system for an aircraft, comprising:

• a phased array antenna system;
• and
• transceiver configured to communicate with a plurality of satellite constellations, the transceiver configured to provide a first transmit signal for a first beam to a first satellite constellation system and a second transmit signal for a second beam to a second satellite constellation system, and the transceiver configured to simultaneously receive a first receive signal for the first beam from the first satellite constellation system and a second receive signal for the second beam from the second satellite constellation system, wherein the transceiver comprises an up converter, a first beam downconverter and a second beam down converter, wherein the phased array antenna system further comprises:
• at least two receiver electronically scanned arrays (ESAs), and at least one transmitter electronically scanned array (ESA), wherein the first receive signal is received by a first receiver ESA of the receiver ESAs and provided via the first beam downconverter, and the second receive signal is received by a second receiver ESA of the receiver ESAs and is provided via the second beam downconverter simultaneously with the first receive signal provided by the first beam downconverter, wherein the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal are provided to the transmitter ESA via the up converter wherein the at least two receiver electronically scanned arrays (ESAs) and the at least one transmitter electronically scanned array (ESA) are disposed in a low profile housing.

A method of communicating data in an aircraft, the method comprising:

• establishing a communication link with a phased array antenna module to a low earth orbit satellite system, wherein the phased array antenna module further comprises:
• at least two receiver electronically scanned arrays (ESAs), at least one transmitter electronically scanned array (ESA), a first beam downconverter, and a second beam down converter, wherein the communication link with the phased array antenna system to the low earth orbit satellite system uses a first receive signal received by a first receiver ESA of the receiver ESAs and provided via the first beam downconverter;
• and
• establishing a communication link with the phased array antenna module to a geostationary orbit satellite system, wherein the communication link with the phased array antenna module to the geostationary orbit satellite system uses a second receive signal simultaneously received with the first receive signal, the second receive signal being received by a second receiver ESA of the receiver ESAs and provided via the second beam downconverter, wherein the at least two receiver electronically scanned arrays (ESAs) and the at least one transmitter electronically scanned array (ESA) are disposed in an antenna housing.