Satellite System That Produces Optical Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) Beam Based On Optical Feeder Uplink Beam

A space based subsystem of a satellite, the space based subsystem comprising:

• receiver optics configured to receive an optical feeder uplink beam from a ground based subsystem and output an optical feeder uplink signal;
• a first optical amplifier optically coupled to the receiver optics and configured to amplify the optical feeder uplink signal that is output from the receiver optics;
• a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) demultiplexer optically coupled to the first optical amplifier and configured to demultiplex and thereby separate the amplified optical feeder uplink signal, which is output from the optical amplifier, into a plurality of separate optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;
• a WDM multiplexer configured to receive a subset of the optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within the specified optical wavelength range, and configured to multiplex and thereby combine the received subset of the optical signals onto a single optical fiber on which each of the optical signals are carried at a same time on its own separate optical wavelength within the specified optical wavelength range as a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• a second optical amplifier optically coupled to the single optical fiber and configured to amplify the wavelength divisional multiplexed optical signal that is output by the WDM multiplexer;
• and
• transmitter optics configured to receive the amplified wavelength divisional multiplexed optical signal and, in dependence therein, transmit an optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beam to another satellite.

A method for use by a space based subsystem of a satellite, the method comprising:

• receiving an optical feeder uplink beam from a ground based subsystem;
• producing, in dependence on the received optical feeder uplink beam, a plurality of separate optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;
• splitting each of at least a subset of the separate optical signals into a respective pair of optical signals, and thereby producing separate pairs of optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within the specified optical wavelength range, with the optical signals of a same pair having the same peak wavelength;
• multiplexing optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within the specified optical wavelength range, the optical signals being multiplexed including one of the optical signals of each of the separate pairs of optical signals, to thereby produce a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal that includes data that is to be forwarded to another satellite so that the other satellite can transmit, in dependence thereon, a plurality of RF service downlink beams;
• producing an optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beam in dependence on the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• and
• transmitting the optical ISL beam through free-space to the other satellite;
• wherein because RF frequencies of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal are within the same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit the plurality of RF service downlink beams, there is an elimination of any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.

A method for use by a space based subsystem of a satellite, the method comprising:

• receiving an optical feeder uplink beam from a ground based subsystem;
• producing, in dependence on the received optical feeder uplink beam, a plurality of separate optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength;
• multiplexing a first subset of the optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within the specified optical wavelength range to thereby produce a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal that includes data that is to be forwarded to another satellite so that the other satellite can transmit, in dependence thereon, a plurality of RF service downlink beams;
• producing an optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beam, in dependence on the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• and
• transmitting the optical ISL beam through free-space to the other satellite;
• wherein because RF frequencies of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal are within the same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit the plurality of RF service downlink beams, there is an elimination of any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.

A space based subsystem of a satellite, the space based subsystem comprising:

• receiver optics configured to receive at least one of an optical feeder uplink beam from a ground based gateway or an inter-satellite link (ISL) beam from another satellite;
• a first optical amplifier optically coupled to the receiver optics and configured to amplify an optical signal that is output from the receiver optics;
• a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) demultiplexer optically coupled to the optical amplifier and configured to demultiplex and thereby separate the amplified optical signal, which is output from the first optical amplifier, into N separate optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range, wherein N is an integer that is greater than one;
• an optical cross-connect switch downstream of the WDM demultiplexer and configured to receive M of the N separate optical signals output by the WDM demultiplexer, and configured to control how the M of the N separate optical signals that are received by the optical cross-connect switch are provided to signal paths downstream of the optical cross-connect switch.