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

A method for enabling a space based subsystem of a satellite to produce an optical inter-satellite (ISL) beam for transmission to another satellite, in dependence on an RF uplink feeder beam received from a ground based gateway, the method comprising:

• receiving an RF feeder uplink beam from a ground based subsystem and producing an RF signal in dependence thereon;
• separating the RF signal into a first RF data signal having a first polarization and a second RF data signal having a second polarization that is different than the first polarization;
• producing first and second RF carrier signals having respective first and second RF frequencies;
• driving first and second lasers with the first and second RF carrier signals to thereby emit respective first and second optical carrier signals having different peak wavelengths within a specified optical wavelength range, the first optical carrier signal having the first RF frequency, and the second optical carrier signal having the second RF frequency;
• electro-optically modulating the first RF data signal with the first optical carrier signal to thereby produce a first optical data signal;
• electro-optically modulating the second RF data signal with the second optical carrier signal to thereby produce a second optical data signal;
• multiplexing the first and second optical data signals to thereby produce a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• producing an optical ISL beam in dependence on the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;
• and
• transmitting the optical ISL beam to another satellite.

A space based subsystem of a satellite for use in receiving an RF uplink feeder beam and in dependence thereon producing two optical inter-satellite link (ISL) beams for transmission to two other satellites, the subsystem comprising:

• an antenna configured to receive an RF feeder uplink beam from a ground based gateway and output an RF signal;
• one or more RF components configured to separate the RF signal into a first RF data signal having a first polarization and a second RF data signal having a second polarization that is different than the first polarization;
• one or more local oscillators (LOs) configured to produce first and second RF carrier signals having respective first and second RF frequencies;
• first and second lasers configured to be driven by the first and second RF carrier signals and in response thereto emit respective first and second optical carrier signals having different peak wavelengths within a specified optical wavelength range, the first optical carrier signal having the first RF frequency, and the second optical carrier signal having the second RF frequency;
• a first electro-optical modulator (EOM) configured to receive the first RF data signal and the first optical carrier signal and configured to output a first optical data signal;
• a second electro-optical modulator (EOM) configured to receive the second RF data signal and the second optical carrier signal and configured to output a second optical data signal;
• a first optical amplifier configured to amplify the first optical data signal;
• a second optical amplifier configured to amplify the second optical data signal;
• first transmitter optics configured to receive the amplified first optical data signal and transmit a first optical ISL beam to a first other satellite in dependence thereon;
• and
• second transmitter optics configured to receive the amplified second optical data signal and transmit a second optical ISL beam to a second other satellite in dependence thereon.

A method for enabling a space based subsystem of a satellite to produce two optical inter-satellite (ISL) beams for transmission to two other satellites, in dependence on an RF uplink feeder beam received from a ground based gateway, the method comprising:

• receiving an RF feeder uplink beam from a ground based gateway and producing RF signal in dependence thereon;
• separating the RF signal into a first RF data signal having a first polarization and a second RF data signal having a second polarization that is different than the first polarization;
• producing first and second RF carrier signals having respective first and second RF frequencies;
• driving first and second lasers with the first and second RF carrier signals to thereby emit respective first and second optical carrier signals having different peak wavelengths within a specified optical wavelength range, the first optical carrier signal having the first RF frequency, and the second optical carrier signal having the second RF frequency;
• electro-optically modulating the first RF data signal with the first optical carrier signal to thereby produce a first optical data signal;
• electro-optically modulating the second RF data signal with the second optical carrier signal to thereby produce a second optical data signal;
• producing a first optical ISL beam in dependence on the first optical data signal;
• producing a second optical ISL beam in dependence on the second optical data signal;
• transmitting the first optical ISL beam to a first other satellite;
• and
• transmitting the second optical ISL beam to a second other satellite.