Medium earth orbit constellation with simple satellite network topology
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsXiangdong Liu, Joshua Schachter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, a member satellite, and a tangible machine-readable medium are disclosed. An inter-satellite link subsystem 472 may maintain a fixed communication link between the member satellite and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation in a regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network. A terrestrial linking subsystem 476 may create a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- maintaining a substantially constant communication link directly between a member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation via an inter-satellite link in a regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network;
- and
- establishing a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.
A member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation, comprising:
- an inter-satellite link subsystem that maintains a substantially constant communication link directly between the member satellite and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation in a regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network;
- and
- a terrestrial linking subsystem that establishes a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.
A non-transitory tangible machine-readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
- maintaining a substantially constant communication link directly between a member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation via an inter-satellite link in regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network;
- and
- establishing a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.