Satellite communication system and method for dividing the coverage area thereof

A method of dividing a coverage area of a satellite communication system for communications between a satellite and a plurality of earth stations, the satellite comprising a beam forming apparatus and a plurality of antenna devices, the beam forming apparatus forming a plurality of beams in respective directions of cells into which the coverage area as a communication target area is divided, the plurality of antenna devices being connected to the beam forming apparatus,

• the method comprising:
• defining, by the beam forming apparatus, a perimeter of the coverage area;
• defining, by the beam forming apparatus, a coordinate grid of a second coordinate system so as to divide the coverage area into a plurality of small areas;
• calculating, by the beam forming apparatus, coordinates of borders between basic cells in a first coordinate system, the basic cells being shaped into regular hexagons arranged to be in contact with one another along their sides and at their vertices or into circles circumscribing the regular hexagons;
• and
• defining, by the beam forming apparatus, a plurality of new cells by converting, through coordinate transformation, the coordinates of the borders between the basic cells in the first coordinate system into coordinates of borders in the second coordinate system.