Return path congestion mitigation for satellite communications

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more communication interfaces to communicate within a multiple-access shared communication media satellite communication system;
• a processor coupled to the interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a communicating process executable by the processor, the process, when executed by one of either a ground station server or a particular distributed module of a plurality of distributed modules of the satellite communication system, operable to:
• determine a level of congestion on a particular return communication path via an intermediate satellite from the plurality of distributed modules to the ground station server;
• determine whether the level of congestion is above a threshold;
• and
• mitigate the congestion, in response to the level of congestion being above the threshold, wherein to mitigate the process is configured to at least one of either:
• determine an uncongested return communication path from a particular distributed module to the ground station server, ensure that the uncongested return communication path would not interfere with any unintended receiver, and then cause the particular distributed module to use the uncongested return communication path;
• and
• enforce one or more communication restrictions on a utilized return communication path to reduce the effect of a communication on the overall congestion of the utilized return communication path.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor on a computer, wherein the computer is one of either a ground station server or a particular distributed module of a plurality of distributed modules of a multiple-access shared communication media satellite communication system, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

• determining a level of congestion on a particular return communication path via an intermediate satellite from the plurality of distributed modules to the ground station server;
• determining whether the level of congestion is above a threshold;
• and
• mitigating the congestion, in response to the level of congestion being above the threshold, wherein mitigating comprises at least one of either:
• determining an uncongested return communication path from a particular distributed module to the ground station server, ensuring that the uncongested return communication path would not interfere with any unintended receiver, and then causing the particular distributed module to use the uncongested return communication path;
• and
• enforcing one or more communication restrictions on a utilized return communication path to reduce the effect of a communication on the overall congestion of the utilized return communication path.