Balloon collector/director sunsubsatcom concept
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorGregory C. Mooradian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for broadcasting and optically transmitting data from an orbiting satellite employs an inflatable balloon-like envelope for receiving and collecting sunlight, a remotely driven modulator for impressing information by modulating received sunlight and another inflatable balloon-like envelope for redirecting the modulated sunlight to a designated area on earth. Sequential addressing of spot areas results in large area broadcast. In addition to using freely available sunlight, the complexity and bulk of the sunlight and redirecting surfaces are greatly reduced to enable the launched deployment of a larger, and hence, more effective communication system.
Claims12
In a communication system for optically transmitting data from an orbiting satellite, an improvement therefor is provided comprising:
- a first inflatable envelope carried on the orbiting platform for inflatably distending to define a sunlight reflecting and concentrating surface, the inflatable envelope has a portion of its inflatable envelope wall transparent to allow the penetration of the sunlight and another portion of its inflatable envelope provided with an internally reflective layer to reflect and concentrate the sunlight;
- means mounted on the orbiting platform for modulating the reflected and collected sunlight;
- and
- a second inflatable envelope carried on the orbiting platform and oriented to receive the modulated sunlight for inflatably distending to define a modulated sunlight direction surface, the inflatable envelope has a portion of the inflatable envelope wall provided with an internally reflective layer to reflect and direct the modulated sunlight away from the orbiting platform and another portion of the inflatable envelope transparent to allow the penetration of the modulated sunlight and the direction thereof away from the orbiting platform.
A method for optically transmitting data from an orbiting satellite comprising:
- inflatably distending a sunlight reflecting and collecting surface in a first distensible means to reflect and collect sunlight;
- modulating the reflected and collected sunlight with the data;
- and
- inflatably distending a modulated sunlight directing surface in a second distensible means in order to transmit the data modulated sunlight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.