Adaptive communication system

A satellite communications system, comprising:

• a satellite configured for relaying laser communications without demodulation or modulation of the laser communications including relaying laser communications between one or more satellites and an aircraft or ground and relaying laser communications from a first satellite to a second satellite the satellite is configured to receive routing information for a laser communication in a routing laser communication that is separate from the laser communication, to demodulate the routing laser communication to determine a destination address, and to relay the laser communication to another satellite selected according to the destination address;
• and
• a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds, the communications relay aircraft comprising:
• a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication;
• a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications;
• wherein the RF communications module is configured to take first data received as laser communication by the laser communications module and to generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the first data;
• and
• wherein the laser communications module is configured to take second data received as RF communication by the RF communications module and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the second data.

A satellite communications system, comprising:

• a satellite configured for laser satellite-to-satellite communications and laser satellite-to-aircraft communications without demodulation of a received laser communication;
• and
• a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds, the communications relay aircraft comprising:
• a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication;
• a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications;
• wherein the RF communications module is configured to take first data received as laser communication by the laser communications module and to generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the first data;
• wherein the laser communications module is configured to take second data received as RF communication by the RF communications module and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the second data;
• and
• wherein the satellite is configured for only laser communications with other satellites, with ground, and with the communications relay aircraft, to operate as an optical repeater to receive an optical beam from the communications relay aircraft, to direct the optical beam through one or more optical switches to an optical output that is directed to another satellite and thereby relay the optical beam, or a portion of the optical beam, to the other satellite, to receive routing information for the optical beam in a routing laser communication that is separate from the optical beam and to demodulate the routing laser communication to determine a destination address.