Satellite system with enhanced payload capacity

A method for enhancing a payload capacity of a satellite system, the method comprising:

• receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;
• forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• and
• forwarding said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said first feeder operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein
• the receiving step comprises receiving data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by a first antenna on the first satellite, said first antenna being configured to:
• operate at a frequency-within the feeder link frequency band;
• receive data from the user when in view of the user;
• and
• a second antenna on the first satellite is configured to complete a second feeder link to the gateway when in view of the gateway.

A method for enhancing a payload capacity of a satellite system, the method comprising:

• receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;
• forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• and
• forwarding said data from the second satellite by a feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein
• the data is received from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link, wherein the user comprises a user terminal with at least one of a transmitter output power less than 50 watts and an aperture size less than 1.3 meters.

A method for enhancing a payload capacity of a satellite system, the method comprising:

• receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;
• forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• and
• forwarding said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein
• the data is received from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link, wherein the satellite system comprises an improvement to a preselected baseline communications capacity of at least one satellite, said baseline communications capacity being preselected with reference to a mission traffic model based on a low data rate user link.

A satellite system comprising:

• a first satellite for receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• and
• said second satellite being configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link, operating within a feeder link frequency band, to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein
• the first satellite receives data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:
• operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;
• receive data from the user when in view of the user;
• and
• complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.

A satellite system comprising:

• a first satellite for receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• and
• said second satellite being configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link, operating within a feeder link frequency band, to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein
• the first satellite receives data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by a first antenna on the first satellite, said first antenna being configured to operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band and receive data from the user when in view of the user;
• and
• a second antenna on the first satellite is configured to complete a second feeder link to the gateway when in view of the gateway.

A satellite within a satellite system wherein:

• said satellite is a first satellite configured to receive data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• said second satellite is configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a gateway, said first feeder link operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network;
• and
• the data is received from the user by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:
• operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;
• receive data from the user when in view of the user;
• and
• complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.

A terrestrial gateway configured to communicate with a satellite system wherein:

• a first satellite is configured to receive data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• said second satellite is configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to the gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network;
• and
• the data is received from the user by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link.

A user terminal configured to communicate with a satellite system wherein:

• a first satellite is configured to receive data from the user terminal over a communications link between the user terminal and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;
• said second satellite is configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a feeder link to the gateway said first feeder link operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network;
• and
• the data is received from the user terminal by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:
• operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;
• receive data from the user when in view of the user;
• and
• complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.