Timing adjustment in non-terrestrial wireless communications

A method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

• identifying round trip delay information associated with a propagation delay for communications with at least a first user equipment (UE) via a satellite;
• determining configuration information based at least in part on the round trip delay information, the configuration information indicating that the first UE is to identify an uplink timing for uplink communications to the base station via the satellite based on a satellite timing reference or a base station timing reference, wherein the uplink timing is based at least in part on the propagation delay and a propagation delay variation, and wherein the propagation delay variation is based at least in part on movement of the satellite relative to the UE or movement of the satellite relative to both the UE and the base station;
• and
• transmitting the configuration information to at least the first UE.

An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a processor,
• memory coupled with the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• identify, based at least in part on round trip delay information received from a network, a propagation delay for communications between the UE and a base station via a satellite;
• determine, based at least in part on the propagation delay and a propagation delay variation, an uplink timing for initiating an uplink communication to the base station via the satellite, wherein the uplink timing is determined relative to a satellite timing reference or a base station timing reference, and wherein the propagation delay variation is based at least in part on movement of the satellite relative to the UE or movement of the satellite relative to both the UE and the base station;
• and
• transmit the uplink communication to the base station via the satellite based at least in part on the uplink timing.

An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

• a processor,
• memory coupled with the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• identify round trip delay information associated with a propagation delay for communications with at least a first user equipment (UE) via a satellite;
• determine configuration information based at least in part on the round trip delay information, the configuration information indicating that the first UE is to identify an uplink timing for uplink communications to the base station via the satellite based on a satellite timing reference or a base station timing reference, wherein the uplink timing is based at least in part on the propagation delay and a propagation delay variation, and wherein the propagation delay variation is based at least in part on movement of the satellite relative to the UE or movement of the satellite relative to both the UE and the base station;
• and
• transmit the configuration information to at least the first UE.