Satellite System That Produces Optical Inter-Satellite Link (ISL) Beam Based On Optical ISL Received From Another Satellite

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

• receiver optics configured to receive an optical inter-satellite (ISL) beam from another satellite and output an optical ISL signal;
• a first optical amplifier optically coupled to the receiver optics and configured to amplify the optical ISL 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 ISL 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 a further optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beam to a further satellite.

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

• receiving an optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beam from another satellite;
• producing, in dependence on the received optical ISL beam, a plurality of separate optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;
• splitting 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 a plurality of the 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 a further optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beam in dependence on the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• and
• transmitting the further optical ISL beam through free-space to a further satellite;
• wherein because RF frequencies of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal are within the same specified RF frequency range within which the further satellite is configured to transmit the plurality of RF service downlink beams, there is an elimination of any need for the further 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 inter-satellite link (ISL) beam from another satellite;
• producing, in dependence on the received optical ISL beam, a plurality of separate optical signals that each have a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;
• 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 a further satellite so that the further 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 further satellite;
• wherein because RF frequencies of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal are within the same specified RF frequency range within which the further satellite is configured to transmit the plurality of RF service downlink beams, there is an elimination of any need for the further satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.