Satellite terminal antenna pointing arrangement using separate forward and return satellites

Method for operating a terminal for allowing bidirectional communication with a gateway in such a way that the terminal receives information from the gateway through a first satellite orbiting the Earth, said first satellite being hereinafter referred to as “forward satellite”, and that the terminal sends information towards the gateway through a second satellite orbiting the Earth, said second satellite being hereinafter referred to as “return satellite”, wherein the terminal comprises:

• an antenna arrangement comprising a receive aperture for receiving signals from the forward satellite, and a transmit aperture for transmitting signals to the return satellite;
• and
• a controller;
• the method comprising:
• computing, by the controller, a pointing direction from the receive aperture towards the forward satellite based on information indicative of the terminal's position and orientation, the antenna arrangement's geometry, and the forward satellite's orbital position;
• and
• computing, by the controller, a pointing direction from the transmit aperture towards the return satellite based on the computed pointing direction from the receive aperture towards the forward satellite and information indicative of the return satellite's orbital position.