Modular communication satellite

A method of operating a communications system;

• said communications system being capable of communicating among a plurality of portable, mobile, and fixed terminals comprising the steps of:
• placing a plurality of satellites (10) into a low Earth orbit using a launch vehicle (LV);
• said plurality of satellites (10) each including an Earth-facing antenna array (12);
• said Earth-facing antenna array (12) including a plurality of substantially polygonal, planar antenna panels (92, 94, 96, 102, 104, & 106);
• said plurality of substantially polygonal, planar antenna panels (92, 94, 96, 102, 104, & 106) being capable of being maintained in an orbital orientation which aims said plurality of substantially polygonal, planar antenna panels (92, 94, 96, 102, 104, & 106) generally towards the Earth;
• said Earth-facing antenna array (12) including a plurality of hinge elements (90);
• said plurality of hinge elements (90) being used to mechanically couple said plurality of substantially polygonal, planar antenna panels (92, 94, 96, 102, 104, & 106);
• said Earth-facing antenna array (12) being capable of being stowed in a coaxially nested arrangement with other of said antenna arrays (12) for transportation in said launch vehicle (LV);
• said plurality of satellites (10) also each including a space-facing array (26);
• said space-facing array (26) including a plurality of intersatellite antennas (28);
• each of said plurality of intersatellite antennas (28) being capable of being maintained in an orbital orientation which aims said intersatellite antennas (28) generally tangential to surface of the Earth;
• said plurality of satellites (10) also each including a solar array (38) for supplying power to said Earth-facing antenna array (12);
• said solar array (38) being capable of being stored substantially near said Earth-facing antenna array (12);
• said solar array (38) being capable of being deployed away from said Earth-facing antenna array (12) and unfurled to a fully extended position (120);
• said solar array (38) including a layer of photovoltaic cells (112);
• said solar array (38)being movably connected to said Earth-facing antenna array (12);
• said solar array (38) being capable of being rotated independently about a plurality of axes to optimize the collection of solar radiation;
• and
• said solar array (38) being capable of being positioned to provide shielding of solar radiation from said Earth-facing antenna array (12);
• deploying said Earth-facing antenna array (12) from its stowed position;
• and
• unfurling said solar array (28) from its stowed to its extended position.

A satellite apparatus capable of being placed in low Earth orbit using a launch vehicle (LV) for providing communications among a plurality of portable, mobile, and fixed terminals and among other of said satellite apparatus comprising:

• a polygonal satellite bus (22);
• said polygonal satellite bus (22) having an Earth-facing antenna array (12) and an intersatellite link antenna array (26);
• a solar array (38) for supplying power to said polygonal satellite bus (22) and said Earth-facing antenna array (12);
• said solar array (38) movably coupled to said polygonal satellite bus (22);
• said solar array (38) being deployed between the sun and said Earth-facing antenna array (12) in a direction generally perpendicular to rays of the sun (S) and being independently positioned about a plurality of axes and in a direction toward the sun (S) from said satellite bus (22) to optimize the collection of solar radiation and to maintain shielding of said Earth-facing antenna array (12) from solar radiation during any portion of said low Earth orbit.

A method of operating a communications system;

• said communications system being capable of communicating among a plurality of portable, mobile, and fixed terminals, comprising the steps of:
• placing a satellite (10) in low Earth orbit;
• said satellite (10) having a polygonal satellite bus (22);
• said satellite (10) having an Earth-facing antenna array (12) and an intersatellite link antenna array (26);
• said satellite having a solar array (38) movably coupled to said polygonal satellite bus (22);
• providing power to said polygonal satellite bus (22), said Earth-facing antenna array (12) and said satellite link antenna array (26) with said solar array (38);
• optimizing the collection of solar radiation and maintaining shielding of said Earth-facing antenna array (12) and said intersatellite link array (26) from solar radiation during any portion of said orbit by deploying said solar array (38) between the sun and said Earth-facing antenna array (12) in a direction generally perpendicular to rays of the sun (S) and independently positioning said solar array (38) about a plurality of axes in a direction toward the sun (S) from said polygonal satellite bus (12).