Crosslink architecture for non-geostationary orbit satellite communication systems.

Abstract

Satellites in a communications system may be equipped with antenna systems including various configurations of antenna arrays on one or more sides of the satellite for receiving and transmitting signals, and transponder systems coupled with such antenna arrays configured to route signals between one or more receive ports and one or more transmit ports. Such antenna arrays may be configured to support directional reception, directional transmission, or both, and the transponder systems may perform one or more aspects of signal processing. Satellites may be configured with specific combinations of components in the receive and transmit systems, and the corresponding transponder systems may include various signal paths supporting combinations of couplings between output and input ports and associated signal processing to support various techniques for relaying communications through the satellite.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] cross reference This patent application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 476,150, by Buer, entitled "NON-GEOSTATIONARY ORBIT SATELLITE CONSTELLATION WITHOUT CROSS-LINKS," filed December 19, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 491,022, by Buer, entitled "LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITE SYSTEM," filed March 17, 2023, each of which is assigned to the assignee hereof, and each of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0002] The following relates to communication systems, including techniques for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite communication systems. [Background technology]

[0003] In some communication systems, ground-based terminals may support wireless signaling of communication services via constellations of satellites in respective non-geostationary orbits (NGSO), such as low Earth orbit (LEO) or medium Earth orbit (MEO). For example, satellites in such systems may be configured with one or more antennas supporting communication with or between ground segment terminals (e.g., gateway terminals, user terminals) and may support various aspects of reconfiguration to implement communication as the satellites traverse along their orbital paths (e.g., for communication with different terminals or different locations). Some NGSO satellite communication systems may implement a relatively large number of satellites to maintain quality of service, such as continuous service coverage for user terminals via one or more satellites in the constellation. To support the deployment of a relatively large number of satellites in an NGSO satellite communication system, various design tradeoffs are considered among satellite characteristics, including cost, complexity, performance, power consumption, reliability, weight, size, form factor, and others. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The described techniques relate to communication systems that implement satellites in non-geostationary orbits (NGSO) to support wireless signaling for communication services. Such satellite communication systems may include a constellation of NGSO satellites that support relaying signals between target devices, such as signals between a gateway terminal and a user terminal. For example, a satellite in an NGSO communication system may support receiving uplink signals (e.g., a forward uplink signal from a gateway terminal, a return uplink signal from a user terminal) and transmitting downlink signals (e.g., a forward downlink signal to a user terminal, a return downlink signal to a gateway terminal) based on the received uplink signals (e.g., according to a bent-pipe payload configuration, according to a processing payload configuration). In some implementations, signals in an NGSO communication system may be relayed through multiple satellites in the constellation such that one or more satellites in the NGSO communication system can support receiving crosslink signals (e.g., from another satellite), transmitting crosslink signals (e.g., to another satellite), or both.

[0005] Communications satellites in NGSO communications systems may be equipped with antenna systems including various configurations of antenna arrays for receiving and transmitting signals, and transponder systems coupled with such antenna arrays configured to route signals between one or more receive ports (e.g., of the receive system) and one or more transmit ports (e.g., of the transmit system) of the antenna systems. In some examples, the antenna arrays or associated circuitry may be configured to perform directional reception (e.g., receive beamforming), directional transmission (e.g., transmit beamforming), or both along one or more directions (e.g., a beam direction, one or more directions simultaneously, one or more directions according to a beam-hopping configuration). In some examples, the transponder system between the array for signal reception and the array for signal transmission may perform one or more aspects of signal processing, such as frequency conversion, demodulation or modulation, multiplexing, signal extraction or insertion, analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion, or other examples of signal processing.

[0006] To support payloads that can be efficiently implemented in a relatively large number of satellites, an NGSO satellite may be configured with a particular combination of components: a receive system (e.g., one or more receive antenna systems, one or more receive subsystems), a transmit system (e.g., one or more transmit antenna systems, one or more transmit subsystems), and a transponder system between the receive and transmit systems (e.g., to support various aspects of relayed communications). For example, according to examples disclosed herein, an NGSO satellite may include a receive system having one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive element, direct radiating antenna element, receive array, panel array, phased array) on a face of the satellite (e.g., side, nadir of the satellite), and a transmit system having one or more antenna elements (e.g., transmit element, direct radiating antenna element, transmit array, panel array, phased array) on the same face of the satellite. In some examples, such receiving and transmitting systems may be configured to simultaneously support forward link signaling (e.g., from a gateway terminal to one or more user terminals) and return link signaling (e.g., from one or more user terminals to a gateway terminal), which may implement signal orthogonality, such as different polarizations or different frequency ranges, between the forward link signaling and the return link signaling.

[0007] A transponder system of such an NGSO satellite may be configured with a forward link path (e.g., a forward link signal path) and a return link path (e.g., a return link signal path). For example, the forward link path may be coupled between a first output port of a receiving system and a first input port of a transmitting system. In some examples, the forward link path may be associated with a first signal polarization (e.g., of a signal received by the receiving system, a signal transmitted by the transmitting system, or both). Furthermore, the return link path may be coupled between a second output port of the receiving system and a second input port of the transmitting system, and in some examples, the return link path may be associated with a second signal polarization (e.g., orthogonal to the first signal polarization). In some such implementations, the receiving system and the transmitting system may be configured for signaling in different frequency ranges (e.g., non-overlapping frequency ranges), which may improve signal isolation between uplink and downlink signaling. In such communications systems, a user terminal may be located relatively close to a gateway terminal that serves communications with the user terminal (e.g., within the beamforming scanning capabilities of the receiving and transmitting systems within a service coverage area), so that implementing the antenna elements of the receiving and transmitting systems on the same face of an NGSO satellite may support a relatively efficient payload.

[0008] In some examples, an NGSO satellite according to the disclosed techniques may be configured to support crosslink signaling, thereby implementing one or more additional antenna systems (e.g., one or more additional arrays on different faces of the satellite). For example, an NGSO satellite may include another receiving system (e.g., another receiving array, another panel array) on another face of the satellite (e.g., opposite the face including the forward / return link antenna system, zenith face), or another receiving system and another transmitting system on a different (opposite) face of the satellite (e.g., a face perpendicular to the nadir face, a face supporting crosslink relaying that may be independent of forward link relaying, return link relaying, or both). A corresponding transponder system may include one or more additional signal paths (e.g., in addition to the forward link and return link paths) to support various combinations of couplings and associated signal processing between output and input ports of multiple antenna systems on different faces of the satellite.

[0009] An NGSO satellite in such a configuration may also include a control system (e.g., one or more controllers) that supports various operational modes of the satellite. For example, such a control system may be configured to enable various signal paths (e.g., beam signal paths, relay paths, transponders) of the transponder system to support various couplings between the receiving system and the transmitting system, including related aspects of signal processing. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may configure aspects of directional reception, directional transmission, or both, such as modifying beam weights or beam hopping in one or more beamforming networks of the receiving system, the transmitting system, or both. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may be configured to modify the satellite's orbital characteristics (e.g., in conjunction with enabling the transponder signal paths and configuring beamforming parameters), for example, to modify the satellite's alignment (e.g., using the satellite's angular momentum system to body-steer the satellite to align its face or antenna system along various directions) or to change the orbital path itself (e.g., using thrusters to change the satellite's altitude, redirect the satellite's orbital path). In various implementations, such a control system may perform operations based on configuration at the satellite (e.g., pre-configuration, hardware configuration, software configuration), based on signaling received at the satellite (e.g., command signaling, parameter signaling, instructions from a network controller, from a terminal), based on detection at the satellite (e.g., satellite characteristics, signal quality characteristics, characteristics of communications relayed by the satellite, environmental characteristics, sensor measurements, communications measurements), or any combination thereof.

[0010] Thus, in accordance with these and other aspects of the present disclosure, satellites may be configured for NGSO communications systems having payloads that support efficient deployment of constellations of relatively large numbers of satellites. Furthermore, NGSO communications systems may be configured to operate such constellations of satellites in a relatively flexible manner, such as by configuring satellites for uplink signaling, downlink signaling, crosslink signaling, or various combinations thereof, in various physical orientations, signaling orientations (e.g., beamforming orientations), and transponder configurations (e.g., signal path configurations between one or more receiving systems and one or more transmitting systems). Such techniques may offer particular advantages for trading off characteristics such as cost, complexity, performance, power consumption, reliability, weight, size, form factor, and the like, for deploying and operating various NGSO satellite communications systems.

[0011] Further scope of applicability of the described methods and systems will become apparent from the following detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are given by way of example only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of this specification will become apparent to those skilled in the art. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a communications system that supports techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B illustrate an example of a satellite that supports techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a payload supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an example payload configuration that supports techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 5]5A and 5B illustrate an example of a satellite supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a payload supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communication system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 7] 7A-7G illustrate example payload configurations that support techniques for NGSO satellite communications systems, according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B illustrate an example of a satellite supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a payload supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. [Figure 10] 10A-10G illustrate example payload configurations that support techniques for NGSO satellite communications systems according to examples disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A satellite communication system may include a constellation of NGSO satellites that support relaying signals between target devices, such as signals between a gateway terminal and a user terminal. For example, a satellite in an NGSO communication system may support receiving uplink signals (e.g., a forward uplink signal from a gateway terminal, a return uplink signal from a user terminal) and transmitting downlink signals (e.g., a forward downlink signal to a user terminal, a return downlink signal to a gateway terminal) based on the received uplink signals (e.g., according to a bent-pipe payload configuration, according to a processing payload configuration). In some implementations, signals in an NGSO communication system may be relayed through multiple satellites in the constellation such that one or more satellites in the NGSO communication system can support receiving crosslink signals (e.g., from another satellite), transmitting crosslink signals (e.g., to another satellite), or both.

[0014] Communications satellites in NGSO communications systems may be equipped with antenna systems including various configurations of antenna arrays for receiving and transmitting signals, as well as transponder systems coupled with such antenna arrays that are configured to route signals between one or more receive ports (e.g., of the receive system) and one or more transmit ports (e.g., of the transmit system) of the antenna systems. In some examples, the antenna arrays or associated circuitry may be configured to perform directional reception (e.g., receive beamforming), directional transmission (e.g., transmit beamforming), or both along one or more directions (e.g., a beam direction, one or more directions simultaneously, one or more directions according to a beam-hopping configuration). In some examples, the transponder system between the array for signal reception and the array for signal transmission may perform one or more aspects of signal processing, such as frequency conversion, demodulation or modulation, multiplexing, signal extraction or insertion, analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion, or other examples of signal processing.

[0015] To support payloads that can be efficiently implemented in a relatively large number of satellites, an NGSO satellite may be configured with a particular combination of components: a receive system (e.g., one or more receive antenna systems), a transmit system (e.g., one or more transmit antenna systems), and a transponder system between the receive and transmit systems (e.g., to support various aspects of relayed communications). For example, according to examples disclosed herein, an NGSO satellite may include a receive system having one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive elements, direct radiating antenna elements, receive arrays, panel arrays, phased arrays) on a face of the satellite (e.g., side, nadir of the satellite), and a transmit system having one or more antenna elements (e.g., transmit elements, direct radiating antenna elements, transmit arrays, panel arrays, phased arrays) on the same face of the satellite. In some examples, such receiving and transmitting systems may be configured to simultaneously support forward link signaling (e.g., from a gateway terminal to one or more user terminals) and return link signaling (e.g., from one or more user terminals to a gateway terminal), which may implement signal orthogonality, such as different polarizations or different frequency ranges, between the forward link signaling and the return link signaling.

[0016] A transponder system of such an NGSO satellite may be configured with a forward link path (e.g., a forward link signal path) and a return link path (e.g., a return link signal path). For example, the forward link path may be coupled between a first output port of a receiving system and a first input port of a transmitting system. In some examples, the forward link path may be associated with a first signal polarization (e.g., of a signal received by the receiving system, a signal transmitted by the transmitting system, or both). Furthermore, the return link path may be coupled between a second output port of the receiving system and a second input port of the transmitting system, and in some examples, the return link path may be associated with a second signal polarization (e.g., orthogonal to the first signal polarization). In some such implementations, the receiving system and the transmitting system may be configured for signaling in different frequency ranges (e.g., non-overlapping frequency ranges), which may improve signal isolation between uplink and downlink signaling. In such communications systems, a user terminal may be located relatively close to a gateway terminal that serves communications with the user terminal (e.g., within the beamforming scanning capabilities of the receiving and transmitting systems within a service coverage area), so that implementing the antenna elements of the receiving and transmitting systems on the same face of an NGSO satellite may support a relatively efficient payload.

[0017] In some examples, an NGSO satellite according to the disclosed techniques may be configured to support crosslink signaling, thereby implementing one or more additional antenna systems (e.g., one or more additional arrays on different faces of the satellite). For example, an NGSO satellite may include another receiving system (e.g., another receiving array, another panel array) on another face of the satellite (e.g., opposite the face including the forward / return link antenna system, zenith face), or another receiving system and another transmitting system on a different (opposite) face of the satellite (e.g., a face perpendicular to the nadir face, a face supporting crosslink relaying that may be independent of forward link relaying, return link relaying, or both). A corresponding transponder system may include one or more additional signal paths (e.g., in addition to the forward link path and the return link path) to support various combinations of couplings and associated signal processing between output ports and input ports of multiple antenna systems on different faces of the satellite.

[0018] An NGSO satellite in such a configuration may also include a control system (e.g., one or more controllers) that supports various operational modes of the satellite. For example, such a control system may be configured to enable various signal paths (e.g., beam signal paths, relay paths, transponders) of the transponder system to support various couplings between the receiving system and the transmitting system, including related aspects of signal processing. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may configure aspects of directional reception, directional transmission, or both, such as modifying beam weights or beam hopping in one or more beamforming networks of the receiving system, the transmitting system, or both. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may be configured to modify the satellite's orbital characteristics (e.g., in conjunction with enabling the transponder signal paths and configuring beamforming parameters), for example, to modify the satellite's alignment (e.g., using the satellite's angular momentum system to body-steer the satellite to align its face or antenna system along various directions) or to change the orbital path itself (e.g., using thrusters to change the satellite's altitude, redirect the satellite's orbital path). In various implementations, such a control system may perform operations based on configuration at the satellite (e.g., pre-configuration, hardware configuration, software configuration), based on signaling received at the satellite (e.g., command signaling, parameter signaling, instructions from a network controller, from a terminal), based on detection at the satellite (e.g., satellite characteristics, signal quality characteristics, characteristics of communications relayed by the satellite, environmental characteristics, sensor measurements, communications measurements), or any combination thereof.

[0019] Thus, in accordance with these and other aspects of the present disclosure, satellites may be configured for NGSO communications systems having payloads that support efficient deployment of constellations of relatively large numbers of satellites. Furthermore, NGSO communications systems may be configured to operate such constellations of satellites in a relatively flexible manner, such as by configuring satellites for uplink signaling, downlink signaling, crosslink signaling, or various combinations thereof, in various physical orientations, signaling orientations (e.g., beamforming orientations), and transponder configurations (e.g., signal path configurations between one or more receiving systems and one or more transmitting systems). Such techniques may offer particular advantages for trading off characteristics such as cost, complexity, performance, power consumption, reliability, weight, size, form factor, and the like, for deploying and operating various NGSO satellite communications systems.

[0020] Features of the present disclosure are first described in the context of a satellite communication system with reference to Figure 1. Features of the present disclosure are also described in the context of example satellites, payloads, and payload implementations with reference to Figures 2A-10G.

[0021] 1 shows a diagram of a communications system 100 (e.g., a satellite communications system) supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. The communications system 100 may use various network architectures to support communications services, such as an architecture including a ground segment 101 and a space segment 102. The space segment 102 may include one or more satellites 120 (e.g., communications satellites). The ground segment 101 may include ground terminals, such as one or more user terminals 150 (e.g., service consumer terminals) and one or more gateway terminals 130 (e.g., access node terminals, network terminals, service provider terminals), as well as network devices 141, such as network operations centers (NOCs), satellite and gateway terminal command centers, and others. In some implementations, the terminals (e.g., gateway terminals 130) of the communications system 100 may be communicatively coupled to each other, one or more networks 140, or a combination thereof (e.g., via a mesh network, a star network, a wired network, a wireless network, etc.).

[0022] Satellites 120 may include any suitable type of satellite configured for wireless communication with or between gateway terminals 130 and user terminals 150 (e.g., to provide communication services). In some examples, one or more of satellites 120 (e.g., all of satellites 120) may be in respective orbits in which the position of satellite 120 relative to Earth changes over time (e.g., NGSO, such as low Earth orbit (LEO) or medium Earth orbit (MEO)). Although at least some techniques are described herein with reference to satellite 120, which is an example of a device supporting relaying of communications between ground terminals, one or more techniques described herein are applicable to other types of devices operable to relay signaling (e.g., between ground terminals), which may generally have an overhead location relative to the ground terminals (e.g., airplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, airships) or may be ground-based relays including mobile or stationary relay devices.

[0023] Communications system 100 may support uplink signaling (e.g., from ground segment 101 to space segment 102), downlink signaling (e.g., from space segment 102 to ground segment 101), crosslink signaling (e.g., between devices in space segment 102, such as between satellites 120), or any combination thereof. Communications system 100 may also support forward signaling (e.g., from gateway terminal 130 to user terminal 150) and return signaling (e.g., from user terminal 150 to gateway terminal 130), among other signaling (e.g., signaling between gateway terminals 130, signaling between user terminals 150, signaling between satellites 120), or any combination thereof. For example, satellite 120 may receive uplink signals 132 (e.g., forward uplink signals) from one or more gateway terminals 130 and may also transmit downlink signals 172 (e.g., forward downlink signals) to one or more user terminals 150, which may be associated with (e.g., including) relaying the forward link signaling. Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120 may receive uplink signals 173 (e.g., return uplink signals) from one or more user terminals 150 and may also transmit downlink signals 133 (e.g., return downlink signals) to one or more gateway terminals 130, which may be associated with relaying the return link signaling. Additionally or alternatively, the first satellite 120 may transmit a crosslink signal 175 that may be received by the second satellite 120, which may include forward crosslink signaling (e.g., between the forward uplink signal 132 and the forward downlink signal 172), return crosslink signaling (e.g., between the return uplink signal 173 and the return downlink signal 133), or a combination thereof.

[0024] Various physical layer modulation and coding techniques may be supported for communication of signals between gateway terminal 130 and user terminals 150 (e.g., via one or more satellites 120), such as multi-frequency time division multiple access (MF-TDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), or any hybrid or other scheme known in the art. In various examples, the physical layer technique may be the same for each of signals 132, 133, 172, 173, and 175, or some of the signals may use different physical layer techniques than other such signals. Satellites 120 may support communications using one or more frequency bands and any number of sub-bands thereof. For example, one or more of satellites 120 may each support operation in any one or more of the W-band, V-band, Ka-band, K-band, Ku-band, X-band, C-band, S-band, L-band, or V-band, among other bands or combinations of bands.

[0025] Satellite 120 may include a system of one or more antennas (e.g., one or more antenna systems, one or more transmit subsystems, one or more receive subsystems), such as a panel array antenna, a phased array antenna, a direct-radiating phased array antenna, a phased array-fed reflector (PAFR) antenna, or any other component known in the art for transmitting or receiving signals for a communication service. In some examples, the antenna system may support communications via one or more beamformed beams 125 (e.g., beams associated with directional transmission, beams associated with directional reception, beams associated with directional transmission and directional reception), which may be referred to as spot beams, serving beams, satellite beams, or any other suitable terminology. Signals may be passed through an array of feed elements of the antenna system of satellite 120 (e.g., via a beamformer) to transmit or receive a space electromagnetic radiation pattern (e.g., a scanning volume) of beam 125. In some examples, beam 125 may use a single carrier (e.g., one frequency or a contiguous frequency range) or may otherwise be associated with a single carrier.

[0026] In some examples, beam 125 may be configured (e.g., by location, frequency range, polarization) to support only gateway terminal 130 (e.g., a single gateway terminal 130), in which case beam 125 may be referred to as a gateway beam or gateway spot beam (e.g., gateway beam 125-a). For example, gateway beam 125-a may be configured to support one or more uplink signals 132 between satellite 120 and gateway terminal 130 (e.g., forward uplink signals as receive beams of satellite 120), one or more downlink signals 133 between satellite 120 and gateway terminal 130 (e.g., return downlink signals as transmit beams of satellite 120), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the satellite 120 may support a first gateway beam 125 (e.g., an uplink gateway beam, a forward gateway beam) for receiving an uplink signal 132 (e.g., a forward uplink signal for outputting a forward uplink beam signal) and a second gateway beam 125 (e.g., a downlink gateway beam, a return gateway beam) for transmitting a downlink signal 133 (e.g., a return downlink signal for obtaining a return downlink beam signal). In various examples, such techniques may include gateway beams 125 being aligned along the same direction from the satellite 120 (e.g., toward the same gateway terminal 130 to simultaneously support forward traffic and return traffic), or aligned along different directions from the satellite 120 (e.g., toward different gateway terminals 130 for forward traffic and return traffic), or supported via different antenna systems (e.g., a receiving antenna system and a transmitting antenna system) or portions thereof of the satellite 120, or both.

[0027] In some examples, beam 125 may be configured (e.g., by location, by frequency range, by polarization) to support user terminal 150 (e.g., one or more user terminals 150), in which case beam 125 may be referred to as a user beam or user spot beam (e.g., user beam 125-b). For example, user beam 125-b may be configured to support one or more downlink signals 172 (e.g., forward downlink signals as a transmit beam of satellite 120), one or more uplink signals 173 (e.g., return uplink signals as a receive beam of satellite 120), or a combination thereof, between satellite 120 and user terminal 150. In some examples, the satellite 120 may support a first user beam 125 (e.g., a downlink user spot beam, a forward user spot beam) for transmitting a downlink signal 172 (e.g., a forward downlink signal for outputting a forward downlink beam signal) and a second user beam 125 (e.g., an uplink user spot beam, a return user spot beam) for receiving an uplink signal 173 (e.g., a return uplink signal for obtaining a return uplink beam signal). In various examples, such techniques may include user beams 125 aligned along the same direction from the satellite 120 (e.g., toward the same portion of a service area for simultaneously supporting forward and return traffic within the same area), or along different directions from the satellite 120 (e.g., toward different portions of a service area for supporting forward and return traffic in different areas), or supported via different antenna systems (e.g., a transmit antenna system and a receive antenna system) or portions thereof, or both, of the satellite 120.

[0028] In some examples, beam 125 may be configured to serve both user terminal 150 and gateway terminal 130. For example, beam 125 may be configured to support any combination of downlink signal 172, uplink signal 173, uplink signal 132, or downlink signal 133 between satellite 120, user terminal 150, and gateway terminal 130. In some examples, satellite 120 may use beam 125 to transmit crosslink signal 175, or to receive crosslink signal 175, or both (not shown). Such techniques may be supported by satellite 120 using the same crosslink beam 125 for transmitting and receiving crosslink signal 175, or using a first crosslink beam 125 for transmitting crosslink signal 175 and a second crosslink beam 125 for receiving crosslink signal 175, which may be supported by the same antenna system or different antenna systems of satellite 120.

[0029] A beam 125 may support communication services with target devices (e.g., user terminal 150, gateway terminal 130, satellite 120) located within the volume of the beam 125, such as located within a beam coverage area 126 (e.g., a spot beam coverage area), or its projection (e.g., at different distances from the plane or surface of the beam coverage area 126). A beam coverage area 126 may be defined by an area of ​​the electromagnetic radiation pattern of the associated beam 125 projected onto the ground or other reference surface that has signal characteristics (e.g., signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR)) that exceed or otherwise meet thresholds. The spot beam coverage area 126 may cover any suitable service area (e.g., circular, elliptical, hexagonal, local, regional, national, planar, non-planar) and may include target devices located within the associated beam 125 (e.g., within the volume of the associated beam 125), but may support communication services with any quantity of target devices located within the beam coverage area 126 that are not necessarily located on the reference surface of the beam coverage area 126, such as airborne or underwater terminals.

[0030] In some examples, a satellite 120 may support multiple beamformed beams 125, each associated with a respective beam coverage area 126, which may or may not overlap with another (e.g., adjacent) beam coverage area 126. For example, a satellite 120 may support one or more service areas (e.g., service coverage areas) using any number of beam coverage areas 126. A service area may be broadly defined as a coverage area in which either a terrestrial source or a terrestrial receiver may participate (e.g., transmit and / or receive signals associated with a communication service) from and / or to the coverage area via one or more satellites 120 and may be served by one or more beam coverage areas 126 via one or more satellites 120 (e.g., during respective durations in which a satellite 120 in an NGSO may provide service to one or more beam coverage areas 126 that at least partially overlap with the service area). In some systems, the service coverage area of ​​each communication link (eg, forward uplink coverage area, forward downlink coverage area, return uplink coverage area, and / or return downlink coverage area) may be different.

[0031] User terminal 150 may include various devices configured to communicate signals with satellite 120 or other target devices, which may include fixed terminals (e.g., ground-based stationary terminals) or mobile terminals (e.g., terminals on boats, aircraft, or ground vehicles), among other types of terminals. User terminal 150 may communicate information via satellite 120 or other target devices, which may include communication via gateway terminal 130 to a destination device, such as network device 141 or some other device or distributed server associated with network 140. User terminal 150 may communicate signals in accordance with various physical layer transmission modulation and coding techniques, including those defined in, for example, the DVB-S2, WiMAX, LTE, and DOCSIS standards, among other standards.

[0032] The user terminal 150 may include an antenna 155 configured to receive downlink signals 172 (e.g., from satellite 120), transmit uplink signals 173 (e.g., to satellite 120), or both. The antenna 155 may be part of an antenna assembly 151 (e.g., a user terminal antenna assembly), which may also include various hardware for mounting or orienting the antenna 155. The antenna assembly 151 may also include circuitry and / or a processor for converting (e.g., performing frequency conversion, modulation / demodulation, multiplexing / demultiplexing, filtering, forwarding) radio frequency (RF) communication signals (e.g., downlink signals 172, uplink signals 173) and user terminal communication signals 157 communicated between the antenna 155 and a user terminal controller 158. Such circuitry and / or a processor may be included in the antenna assembly 151, which may be referred to as an integrated antenna assembly or a processor-integrated antenna assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the user terminal controller 158 may include circuitry for performing various RF signal operations (e.g., receiving, performing frequency conversion, modulation / demodulation, multiplexing / demultiplexing, etc.) The antenna assembly 151 may also be known as a satellite outdoor unit (ODU), and the user terminal controller 158 may be known as an indoor unit (IDU).

[0033] In some examples, the user terminal 150 may be configured for one-way or two-way communication with the satellite 120 via a beam 125 (e.g., user beam 125-b). In some implementations, the antenna 155 may include an array (e.g., a two-dimensional array, a panel array, a phased array) of feed elements 156 physically arranged in a feed array assembly, and the signals of each feed element 156 may be steered according to various beamforming techniques (e.g., phase and / or amplitude manipulation) to support terminal beams (e.g., terminal spot beams, not shown), such as transmit beams (e.g., directional transmit) and receive beams (e.g., directional receive). In other words, communication via the antenna 155 may be electronically configurable using the array of feed elements 156 to align signal transmission and / or reception along a desired direction (e.g., terminal beam orientation). In some other implementations, the signaling direction of antenna 155 may be mechanically configurable (e.g., mechanically steerable with or without one or more reflectors, such as parabolic reflectors), or may be both electronically and mechanically configurable, among other techniques, or antenna 155 may implement an omnidirectional antenna. Thus, antenna 155 may be configured to track satellite 120 in NGSO to support directional communication signaling with satellite 120.

[0034] User terminals 150 may be connected to one or more consumer premises equipment (CPE) 160 via wired or wireless connections 161 and may provide network access services (e.g., access to network 140, Internet access) or other communication services (e.g., broadcast media, multicast media) to CPE 160 via one or more devices of communication system 100. CPE 160 may include user devices such as, but not limited to, computers, local area networks, Internet appliances, wireless networks, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, display devices (e.g., televisions, computer monitors), printers, sensors, and other equipment. CPE 160 may also include any equipment located at a subscriber's premises, including routers, firewalls, switches, private branch exchanges (PBXs), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateways, etc., among others. In some examples, the user terminal 150 supports two-way communication between one or more CPEs 160 and one or more networks 140 (e.g., via one or more satellites 120 and via one or more gateway terminals 130).

[0035] The gateway terminal 130 may service uplink signals 132 and downlink signals 133 (e.g., to and from one or more satellites 120). The gateway terminal 130 may also be known as a ground station, gateway, or hub. The gateway terminal 130 may include a gateway antenna system 131 and a gateway controller 135 (e.g., an access node controller). The gateway antenna terminal 131 may be capable of two-way communication and may be designed with appropriate transmit power and receive sensitivity to reliably communicate with one or more communication satellites 120. In some examples, the gateway antenna 131 may include a parabolic reflector with high directivity in the direction of the satellites 120 and low directivity in other directions. The gateway antenna system 131 may include various other configurations to support operating characteristics such as high isolation between orthogonal polarizations, high efficiency in the operating frequency band, low noise, and other features.

[0036] In some examples, the gateway terminal 130 (e.g., a gateway controller 135, an access node controller) may schedule traffic to the user terminal 150. Additionally or alternatively, traffic scheduling may be performed in other parts of the communication system 100 (e.g., in one or more network devices 141, which may include a NOC and / or a gateway command center). The satellite 120 may communicate with the gateway terminal 130 by transmitting downlink signals 133, receiving uplink signals 132, or both, via one or more beams 125 (e.g., a gateway beam 125-a, which may be associated with a respective gateway beam coverage area 126-a). The gateway beam 125-a may support, for example, communication services (e.g., relayed by the satellite 120) for one or more user terminals 150, or any other communication between the satellite 120 and the gateway 130.

[0037] Gateway terminal 130 may provide an interface between network 140 and satellite 120 and may be configured to relay information sent between network 140 and one or more user terminals 150. Gateway terminal 130 may format the information for delivery to each user terminal 150. Additionally or alternatively, gateway terminal 130 may be configured to receive signals from satellite 120 (e.g., from one or more user terminals 150) sent to destinations accessible via network 140. Gateway terminal 130 may also format the received signals for transmission to network 140.

[0038] Network(s) 140 may be any type of network, examples of which may include the Internet, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, an intranet, a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a local area network (LAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a virtual LAN (VLAN), an optical fiber network, a hybrid fiber-coaxial network, a cable network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a public switched data network (PSDN), a public land mobile network, and / or any other type of network supporting communication between the devices described herein. Network(s) 140 may include both wired and wireless connections as well as optical links. Network(s) 140 may connect one or more gateway terminals 130 with other gateway terminals 130 that may be in communication with satellite 120 or other satellites. One or more network devices 141 may be coupled to gateway terminal 130 and may control aspects of communication system 100. In various examples, the network device 141 may be co-located with the gateway terminal 130, or may otherwise be near the gateway terminal 130, or may be a remote location that communicates with the gateway terminal 130 and / or the network(s) 140 via wired and / or wireless communication link(s).

[0039] In some examples, communications system 100 (e.g., space segment 102) may include a set (e.g., a constellation) of multiple satellites 120 for supporting communications services. For example, a coverage area of ​​such communications services may be configured such that communications may be served by one or more satellites 120 passing through one or more coverage areas at a given time. In some examples, such techniques may also be supported by communications system 100 including satellite 180, which may be a satellite in a different orbit (e.g., a geostationary orbit) than satellite 120. Satellite 180 may be implemented to support various techniques for communications system 100. For example, satellite 180 may be configured to support data signaling with or between gateway terminal 130 (e.g., via signals 181, which may include uplink signaling, downlink signaling, or both), with or between user terminal 150 (e.g., via signals 182, which may include uplink signaling, downlink signaling, or both), or a combination thereof (e.g., as a relay between gateway terminal 130 and user terminal 150). Additionally or alternatively, satellite 180 may be configured to support data signaling with or through satellite 120 (e.g., via signals 183 as GEO link signals), including configurations in which signals 183 support cross-link relay signaling (e.g., of forward or return communications) through satellite 180. Additionally or alternatively, satellite 180 may support transmitting configuration signaling, such as to configure operation of gateway terminal 130 (e.g., via signal 181), to configure operation of user terminal 150 (e.g., via signal 182), or to configure operation of satellite 120 (e.g., via signal 183), or any combination thereof.

[0040] According to examples disclosed herein, satellites 120 may be configured for communications system 100 with payloads that support efficient deployment of constellations of relatively large numbers of satellites 120. Furthermore, communications system 100 may be configured to operate such constellations of satellites 120 in a relatively flexible manner, such as configuring satellites 120 in various physical orientations, signaling orientations (e.g., beamforming orientations), and transponder configurations (e.g., signal path configurations between one or more receiving systems and one or more transmitting systems of the satellites) for uplink signaling, downlink signaling, crosslink signaling, or various combinations thereof. Such techniques may offer particular advantages for trading off characteristics such as cost, complexity, performance, power consumption, reliability, weight, size, form factor, and the like for deploying and operating communications system 100.

[0041] 2A and 2B illustrate an example of a satellite 120-a supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. The satellite 120-a may be configured to be deployed in an NGSO and may support various aspects of the techniques described in communications system 100. For example, the satellite 120-a may support targeting functions for receiving and transmitting (e.g., relaying) beam signals, which may enable the relatively small size (e.g., compact form factor) and relatively low complexity of the satellite 120-a. In some examples, the relatively small size (e.g., in an undeployed state) of the satellite 120-a may support, among other factors, the relatively low cost and overhead associated with deploying the satellite 120-a in communications system 100. For example, multiple satellites 120-a may be deployed from the payload of the same launch vehicle, rather than launching and deploying each satellite 120-a individually. Although some techniques are described with reference to a satellite 120-a operating in NGSO, in some other examples, one or more of the described techniques may be implemented in a satellite 120 or satellite 180 operating in geostationary orbit, among other implementation aspects.

[0042] Satellite 120-a may have a generally prismatic shape (e.g., a cube shape, a rectangular prism shape as a cube satellite) and may be described with reference to the x, y, and z directions of coordinate system 200 (e.g., the coordinate system of satellite 120-a). Satellite 120-a may include body portion 210 having sides (e.g., faces that may be flat or curved), which may include side 211 (e.g., facing outward along the positive x direction), side 212 (e.g., facing outward along the negative x direction), side 213 (e.g., facing outward along the positive y direction), side 214 (e.g., facing outward along the negative y direction), side 215 (e.g., facing outward along the positive z direction), and side 216 (e.g., facing outward along the negative z direction). In some examples, the sides of the satellite 120-a may be orthogonal, while in some other examples, the sides of the satellite 120-a may be at different orientations, such as a satellite 120-a having a trapezoidal prism shape, a diamond prism shape, a hexagonal prism shape, an octagonal prism shape, or some other shape.

[0043] In some examples, satellite 120-a may include one or more panels 220, e.g., panels 220-a and 220-b, that are rotatably coupled to body portion 210 (e.g., to sides 213 and 214, respectively, via couplings rotatable about the x-direction) using hinges 225 (e.g., hinge actuators, rotary joints, rotary actuators, spring hinges). In some implementations, panels 220 may carry one or more solar elements 230 (e.g., solar panels), which may be positioned on one or both sides (e.g., along the z-direction) of each panel 220 and may provide power to operational components of satellite 120-a (e.g., signal components, processing components, orientation components such as angular momentum systems). For example, satellite 120-a may include a first solar panel array configured to deploy from side 213 and a second solar panel array configured to deploy from side 214. In some examples, the control system of satellite 120-a may manage the deployment of panel 220 using hinge 225 (e.g., may deploy panel 220 to extend outward along the y direction, may retract panel 220, and may actuate hinge 225).

[0044] Satellite 120-a may support wireless communications between ground terminals (e.g., between one or more user terminals 150 and one or more gateway terminals 130), for example, by receiving uplink signaling (e.g., forward uplink signaling, return uplink signaling, uplink signal 132, uplink signal 173) using receive array 240 (e.g., uplink array, panel array, direct radiating array) and transmitting downlink signaling (e.g., forward downlink signaling, return downlink signaling, downlink signal 172, downlink signal 133) using transmit array 250 (e.g., downlink array, panel array, direct radiating array). For example, receive array 240 may be configured to receive signaling from the ground terminal, and transmit array 250 may be configured to transmit signaling to the ground terminal.

[0045] The receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 may be physically located (e.g., fixed) on the satellite 120-a to support efficient communication of beam signals (e.g., via beams 125 formed on the satellite 120-a) with the user terminals 150 and the gateway terminals 130. For example, the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 may both be located on the side 215 (e.g., the same plane, nadir) of the satellite 120-a. In some examples, the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 may be separate assemblies of antenna elements (e.g., an assembly of receive elements separated from an assembly of transmit elements), which may support relatively improved signal isolation and packaging, among other advantages. In some other examples, the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 may refer to interleaved antenna elements (e.g., receive elements and transmit elements distributed between at least partially overlapping surface areas) or may be implemented as a single array implementing antenna elements for both receive and transmit (e.g., as a transceiver element).

[0046] To support communications with terminals in the ground segment 101 using the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250, the satellite 120-a may be oriented so that the side 215 (e.g., the nominal direction of the side 215, the axis of the side 215, the positive z direction of the satellite 120-a) is aligned toward the Earth (e.g., toward the service area, toward the location of the service area).

[0047] The receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 may each be associated with an axis (e.g., nominal axis, boresight axis, boresight direction, outward direction) that may be the nominal direction of the respective array. In some examples, such a nominal direction may be associated with the direction of the array's peak gain capability (e.g., direction of maximum radiated power, direction of maximum receive sensitivity, direction of lowest distortion). For example, the receive array 240 may be associated with axis 245, and the transmit array 250 may be associated with axis 255, each of which may be aligned along a positive z direction from the satellite 120-a (e.g., along a direction fixed relative to the body portion 210, along a direction from the side 215, along a parallel direction). Thus, aligning the receive array 240, the transmit array 250, or both toward a target (e.g., along a target direction) may be associated with orienting the satellite 120-a so that the positive z direction is aligned toward the target.

[0048] While in the example of satellite 120-a, receive array and transmit array 550 are illustrated on a planar face of satellite 120-a, in some other examples consistent with the described techniques, such techniques may be supported by a non-planar face of satellite 120, such as one or more curved arrays or arrays of other shapes otherwise associated with axes 245 and 255, or a fixed array of antenna elements (e.g., in the case of satellite 120 having one or more curved surfaces, such as cylindrical or spherical surfaces). Furthermore, while in the example of satellite 120-a, axes 245 and 255 are parallel, in some other examples, the directions of axes 245 and 255 may be separated by a fixed angle, such as 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, or some other fixed angle (e.g., between the outward direction of the sides of satellite 120 and the nominal direction of the curved arrays of satellite 120).

[0049] In some examples, the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 may have similar cross-sectional areas (e.g., the same cross-sectional area), or the same number of antenna elements, or both. In some other examples, one of the receive array 240 or the transmit array 250 may be relatively larger (e.g., surface area in the x-y plane) than the other, or may have a relatively larger number of antenna elements, or may have relatively larger antenna elements, or a combination thereof. For example, the receive array 240 (e.g., the antenna elements of the receive array 240, the signal processing circuitry associated with the receive array 240) may be configured to receive signals in a first frequency range, and the transmit array 250 may be configured to transmit signals in a second frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range. In an example where the first frequency range is relatively higher than the second frequency range, the receive array 240 may be relatively smaller than the transmit array 250, which may be associated with the relatively shorter wavelengths of the relatively higher frequencies (e.g., by including relatively smaller antenna elements, including antenna elements that are in a smaller cross-sectional area in the x-y plane, including antenna elements with a shorter separation distance, or a combination thereof). However, in some other implementations, such relative sizing or quantity of antenna elements may be reversed between the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 (e.g., depending on the relative frequencies supported by the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250). Additionally or alternatively, as described herein, the configuration of a receive system or a transmit system for signaling in a given frequency range may include other configurations (e.g., mechanical configurations, electrical configurations, static configurations, fixed configurations) that differ between the systems, such as configurations of circuit elements for frequency-specific filtering or other types of signal processing corresponding to particular types of communication (e.g., frequency-specific configurations corresponding to uplink, downlink, or crosslink communication).Additionally or alternatively, the relative sizing or quantity of antenna elements may be balanced between receive array 240 and transmit array 250 based on other criteria, such as link balancing or biasing via satellite 120a (e.g., balancing performance characteristics between forward link and return link communications, biasing performance characteristics to support relatively high forward link throughput, balancing performance characteristics between gateway terminals and user terminals, such as associated antenna characteristics), among other balancing.

[0050] In some examples, the receive array 240, the transmit array 250, or both may have triangular cross sections (e.g., in the x-y plane). For example, when sharing a face of a satellite 120-a, dividing the surface area of ​​the face into triangles (e.g., right triangles, isosceles triangles) may support the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250 having more uniform beamforming characteristics (e.g., due to relatively uniform widths along the x-direction and widths along the y-direction) than if the surface area were divided into adjacent rectangles or other shapes. In some other examples, the area of ​​the shared face of the satellite 120-a may be divided into rectangular cross sections or other shapes (e.g., in the x-y plane) for the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250, and during operation, the satellite 120-a may be rotated (e.g., about the z-axis) so that any beamforming or other signaling asymmetries may be advantageously aligned along a particular rotational direction. For example, the relative long dimension of the receive array 240 or the transmit array 250 may be aligned (e.g., rotated) along a particular direction, such as the direction of separation between the beams 125 (e.g., the direction of separation between the user terminal 150 and the gateway terminal serving the user terminal 150), which may reduce beamforming scan losses at angles (e.g., scan angles) relative to the axes 245 and 255 or relative to the z direction of the satellite 120-a.

[0051] A receive system (e.g., a receive system including a receive antenna system, an uplink antenna system, a receive array 240) of satellite 120-a may support receiving beam signals (e.g., uplink signal 132, uplink signal 173 via beam 125) from one or more target devices, such as one or more user terminals 150, one or more gateway terminals 130, or a combination thereof. For example, receive array 240 may include one or more receive elements (e.g., receive antenna elements, receive feed elements) located on side 215 configured to receive signaling from the target devices. The receive elements may include physical transducers (e.g., RF transducers) that convert electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) into electrical signals (e.g., electrical component signals). The receiving element may include, for example, a feed horn, a polarization transducer (e.g., a septum-polarized horn that can function as two combined elements with different polarizations), a multi-port horn (e.g., with a dual-polarized LHCP / RHCP), a cavity-backed slot, an inverted F, a slotted waveguide, a Vivaldi, a helix, a loop, a patch, or any other configuration of antenna elements or combinations of interconnected sub-elements.

[0052] In some implementations, the receive elements may support reception of (e.g., separation between) respective component signals associated with different polarizations and may be associated with or include respective ports (e.g., one or more ports, respective input ports, respective output ports) configured for component signals associated with particular polarizations. For example, a set of receive elements of the receive array 240 may receive first component signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) of a first receive beam signal, each first component signal having a first polarization. The received first component signals may be converted (e.g., to electrical signals) and output using a set of first antenna element ports (e.g., output ports). Thus, at least some of the receive elements may receive portions or components of the first receive beam signal and output associated electrical signals from their respective first ports (e.g., to a first receive beamforming network corresponding to the first polarization). In some examples, the set of receiving elements may also receive second component signals of the second receive beam signal, each second component signal having a second polarization (e.g., different from and orthogonal to the first polarization). The received second component signals may be converted and output using a second set of antenna element ports. Thus, at least some of the receiving elements may also receive portions or components of the second receive beam signal and output associated electrical signals from their respective second ports (e.g., to a second receive beamforming network corresponding to the second polarization).

[0053] In some examples, the receive array 240 may be configured to receive signaling according to a first polarization associated with forward link communications (e.g., signaling from the gateway terminal 130) and to receive signaling according to a second polarization associated with return link communications (e.g., signaling from the user terminal 150), in which case the first polarization may be orthogonal to the second polarization. For example, the first polarization may be an example of left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), and the second polarization may be an example of right-hand circular polarization (RHCP). Additionally or alternatively, the first polarization and the second polarization may be linearly polarized, such as the first polarization having a vertical polarization and the second polarization having a horizontal polarization.

[0054] The receive system of satellite 120-a may include one or more beamforming networks (e.g., receive beamforming networks) that may be configured to support directional reception via receive array 240 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of receive array 240) relative to axis 245 (e.g., along one or more directions that may differ from axis 245). For example, each such beamforming network of the receive system may be configured to output one or more beam signals according to a respective beam 125 (e.g., receive beam) using component signals from a set of receive elements of receive array 240.

[0055] In some implementations, the receiving system may include a first beamforming network coupled to outputs of a first set of antenna element ports and may receive a first set of component signals (e.g., forward link component signals) from the first set of antenna element ports. The first beamforming network may output a single beam signal (e.g., a forward link beam signal) associated with a first polarization to, for example, a transponder (e.g., a forward link transponder, a forward link signal path, part of a transponder system), and the transponder may route the beam signal to a transmit system, such as a transmit system including transmit array 250. In some implementations, the receiving system may also include a second beamforming network coupled to outputs of a second set of antenna element ports and may receive a second set of component signals (e.g., return link component signals) from the second set of ports. The second beamforming network may, for example, output a single beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal) associated with the second polarization to a transponder (e.g., a return link transponder, a return link signal path, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal to a transmission system, such as a transmission system including the transmit array 250.

[0056] The transmit system (e.g., transmit antenna system, downlink antenna system, transmit system including transmit array 250) of satellite 120-a may support transmitting beam signals (e.g., downlink signal 133, downlink signal 172 via beam 125) to one or more target devices, such as one or more user terminals 150, one or more gateway terminals 130, or a combination thereof. For example, transmit array 250 may include one or more transmit elements (e.g., transmit antenna elements, transmit feed elements) located on side 215 configured to transmit signaling to the target devices. The transmit elements may include physical transducers (e.g., RF transducers) that convert electrical signals (e.g., electrical component signals) into electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals). The transmit element may include, for example, a feed horn, a polarization transducer (e.g., a septum-polarized horn that can function as two combined elements with different polarizations), a multi-port horn (e.g., with a dual-polarized LHCP / RHCP), a cavity-backed slot, an inverted F, a slotted waveguide, a Vivaldi, a helix, a loop, a patch, or any other configuration of antenna elements or combinations of interconnected sub-elements.

[0057] The transmit system of satellite 120-a may include one or more beamforming networks (e.g., transmit beamforming networks) that may be configured to support directional transmission via transmit array 250 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of transmit array 250) relative to axis 255 (e.g., along one or more directions that may differ from axis 255). For example, each such beamforming network of the transmit system may be configured to transmit one or more beam signals according to a respective beam 125 (e.g., transmit beam) using component signals output to a set of transmit array 250 transmit elements.

[0058] In some implementations, the transmission system may include a first beamforming network coupled to inputs of a first set of antenna element ports. The first beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a transmit beam signal, a forward link beam signal) associated with a first polarization, for example, from a transponder (e.g., a forward link transponder, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal from a receiving system including the receive array 240. The first beamforming network may output a set of first component signals (e.g., forward link component signals) to the first set of antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 associated with the first polarization. In some implementations, the transmission system may also include a second beamforming network coupled to inputs of a second set of antenna element ports. The second beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal) associated with a second polarization, for example, from a transponder (e.g., a return link transponder, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal from the receiving system. The second beamforming network may output a second set of component signals (e.g., return link component signals) to a second set of antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 associated with a second polarization.

[0059] In some implementations, the transmit elements of the transmit array 250 may support transmission of respective component signals associated with different polarizations and may be associated with or include respective ports (e.g., respective input ports, respective output ports) configured for component signals associated with particular polarizations. For example, a set of transmit elements may use a first set of antenna element ports (e.g., input ports) to receive first component signals (e.g., electrical component signals from a first transmit beamforming network corresponding to a first polarization) of a first transmit beam signal (e.g., a forward link signal), which may be converted by the transmit elements into electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) transmitted by the transmit elements according to the first polarization. Thus, at least some of the transmit elements may receive a portion or component of the first transmit beam signal and transmit an associated electromagnetic signal having the first polarization. In some examples, the set of transmit elements may use a second set of antenna element ports (e.g., input ports) to receive second component signals (e.g., from a second transmit beamforming network corresponding to a second polarization) of a second transmit beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal), which may be converted by the transmit elements into electromagnetic signals transmitted by the transmit elements according to the second polarization. Thus, at least some of the transmit elements may also receive portions or components of the second transmit beam signal and transmit associated electromagnetic signals having a second polarization (e.g., different from and orthogonal to the first polarization).

[0060] In some examples, the transmit array 250 may transmit signaling according to a first polarization associated with forward link communications (e.g., signaling to the user terminal 150) and a second polarization associated with return link communications (e.g., signaling to the gateway terminal 130), in which case the first polarization may be orthogonal to the second polarization. For example, the first polarization may be an example of LHCP, and the second polarization may be an example of RHCP. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second polarizations may be linearly polarized, such as the first polarization having vertical polarization and the second polarization having horizontal polarization. In some implementations, the transmit array 250 may implement the same polarization as the receive array 240 for forward communications (e.g., implementing LHCP for the forward link) and may implement the same polarization as the receive array 240 for return communications (e.g., implementing RHCP for the return link). In some other implementations, the transmit array 250 may implement different polarizations as the receive array 240 for forward communications, or for return communications, or both.

[0061] In some implementations, satellite 120-a may include additional components to support wireless communications with gateway terminal 130, user terminal 150, other satellites 120, or satellite 180, among other devices. For example, satellite 120-a may include a patch antenna 284 (e.g., an S-band patch antenna), an omni-directional antenna 282 (e.g., an omnidirectional antenna), or both, which may support communications (e.g., transmit control signaling, receive control signaling) in a limited frequency range (e.g., 2 GHz to 4 GHz, non-overlapping with or otherwise distinct from receive array 240 and transmit array 250). In some examples, one or more of such antennas may communicate control signals (e.g., via a control band), such as scheduling information, orbit adjustment information, and so on. Additionally or alternatively, patch antenna 284, omni antenna 282, or both may support transmitting or receiving signal 182, receiving uplink signal 132, receiving uplink signal 173, transmitting downlink signal 133, transmitting downlink signal 172, transmitting or receiving crosslink signal 175, or any combination thereof, among other examples. In some examples, patch antenna 284, omni antenna 282, or both may be located on a different side of satellite 120-a than receive array 240 and transmit array 250, e.g., side 211 or side 216 (e.g., opposite receive array 240 and transmit array 250).

[0062] In some implementations, the satellite 120-a may include a tracking system 280 (e.g., a star tracker) to support detection of telemetry information for the satellite 120-a. For example, the tracking system 280 may measure the positions of stars or other objects to determine the location of the satellite 120-a, the velocity of the satellite 120-a, the orientation of the satellite 120-a, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the satellite 120-a may use the characteristics of the satellite 120-a determined by the tracking system 280 to determine or calculate an orbital path or other telemetry information, transmit the telemetry information (e.g., using a telemetry beacon), or use the telemetry information to control the orientation of the satellite 120-a (e.g., using an angular momentum system) or determine the direction of each of one or more beams 125, among other implementations. The tracking system 280 may be located on a plane of the satellite 120-a different from the plane including the receive array 240 and the transmit array 250, such as on the side 211.

[0063] In some implementations, satellite 120-a may include one or more components that support control of the satellite's orbital parameters. For example, satellite 120-a may include one or more thrusters 286, which in some examples may be located on a side of satellite 120-a opposite receive array 240 and transmit array 250 (e.g., on side 216), or on one or more other sides. Thrusters 286 may be operable to modify the orbital path of satellite 120-a (e.g., to adjust the velocity of satellite 120-a along the orbital path to move to a higher or lower orbit). Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-a may include an angular momentum system (e.g., internal to satellite 120-a, not shown) operable to orient (e.g., rotate) satellite 120-a about one or more axes (e.g., to align a side of the satellite along a target direction, to align the z-direction of satellite 120-a along a target direction, to align axis 245, axis 255, or both along a target direction).

[0064] Satellite 120-a may include a control system that supports various operations of satellite 120-a. For example, such a control system may configure aspects of directional reception, directional transmission, or both, such as modifying beam weights or beam hopping in one or more beamforming networks of the receiving system, the transmitting system, or both. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may be configured to modify orbital characteristics of satellite 120-a (e.g., in conjunction with enabling transponder signal paths and configuring beamforming parameters), such as to modify the alignment of satellite 120-a (e.g., using the angular momentum system of satellite 120-a to body steer to align the satellite's face, such as side 215, or its antenna system, such as axis 245 or axis 255, along various directions), or to change the orbital path itself (e.g., using thrusters 286 to change the satellite's 120-a's altitude or redirect the satellite's 120-a's orbital path). In various implementations, such a control system may perform actions based on configuration (e.g., pre-configuration, hardware configuration, software configuration) at satellite 120-a, based on signaling received at satellite 120-a (e.g., via signal 132, via signal 173, via signal 183, via receive array 240, via patch antenna 284, via omni-antenna 282, from a network controller, from a terminal, command signaling, parameter signaling, instructions), based on detections at satellite 120-a (e.g., characteristics of satellite 120-a, signal quality characteristics, characteristics of communications relayed by satellite 120-a, sensor measurements of environmental characteristics, communications measurements), or any combination thereof.

[0065] In some examples, receive array 240 and transmit array 250 may be configured for communication with ground segment terminals, although receive array 240 and transmit array 250 may additionally or alternatively be configured for communication with or via another satellite, such as another satellite 120 or another satellite 180. For example, to support aspects of a GEO link (e.g., a LEO-GEO link), satellite 120-a may support wireless communications by receiving signals 183 using receive array 240, or by transmitting signals 183 using transmit array 250, or both (e.g., via respective beams 125). In some examples, such techniques may be supported by aligning the positive z direction of satellite 120-a toward satellite 180 (e.g., for at least a portion of the orbital path of geosynchronous satellite 120-a).

[0066] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a payload 300 supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. The payload 300 may be implemented on a satellite 120, such as the satellite 120-a described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. For example, the payload 300 may include a receiving system 305 (e.g., a receiving subsystem, a receiving antenna system, an uplink receiving subsystem), a transmitting system 315 (e.g., a transmitting subsystem, a transmitting antenna system, a downlink transmitting subsystem), and a transponder system 310 (e.g., a transponder subsystem, a set of transponders, a set of signal paths, a set of beam signal paths) coupled to (e.g., coupled between) the receiving system 305 and the transmitting system 315. The receiving system 305 may be a single receiving system of the payload 300, and the transmitting system 315 may be a single transmitting system of the payload 300. The receiving system 305, the transponder system 310, and the transmitting system 315 are illustrated with boundaries, but the components may be distributed differently among other systems or subsystems in accordance with the described techniques.

[0067] Payload 300 may support relaying beam signals (e.g., signals associated with one or more beams 125) between terminals of ground segment 101 (e.g., between gateway terminal 130 and user terminal 150). For example, receive system 305 may include receive array 240-a (e.g., antenna, panel array) and port 306 (e.g., ports 306-a and 306-b, output ports, uplink ports). Receive array 240-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive elements) located on a side of satellite 120, such as side 215. Receive system 305 may be operable to acquire and output, via port 306, one or more beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, uplink beam signals) based on component signals received via the antenna elements of receive array 240-a. The transmit system 315 may include a transmit array 250-a (e.g., antenna, panel array) and ports 316 (e.g., ports 316-a and 316-b, input ports, downlink ports). The transmit array 250-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., transmit elements) located on a side of the satellite 120, such as on the side 215 (e.g., the same side as the antenna elements of the receive system 305). The transmit system 315 may be operable to acquire (e.g., via ports 316) and transmit beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, downlink beam signals) based on the component signals transmitted via the antenna elements of the transmit array 250-a.

[0068] The transponder system 310 (e.g., a transponder subsystem, a set of transponders, a set of signal paths between the receiving system 305 and the transmitting system 315) may be coupled to a port 306 of the receiving system 305 and operable to receive one or more beam signals from the receiving system 305. For example, the transponder system 310 may include ports 311 (e.g., ports 311-a and 311-b, input ports, uplink ports, beam signal ports) operable to couple with respective ports 306 of the receiving system 305 (e.g., in a one-to-one correspondence). In some other examples, the respective ports 311 and 306 may be referred to as, or may be equivalent to, a common port (e.g., an uplink port, uplink node, common node of the receiving system 305 or the transponder system 310). The transponder system 310 may also be coupled to a port 316 of the transmitting system 315 and operable to output one or more beam signals to the transmitting system 315. For example, the transponder system 310 may include ports 312 (e.g., ports 312-a and 312-b, output ports, downlink ports, beam signal ports) operable to couple (e.g., in a one-to-one correspondence) with respective ports 316 of the transmitting system 315. In some other examples, the respective ports 312 and 316 may be referred to as or equivalent to a common port (e.g., a downlink port, downlink node, common node of the receiving system 305 or the transponder system 310).Thus, transponder system 310 may include two ports 311 (e.g., two inputs, a single return port 311-a and a single forward port 311-b) coupled to respective ports 306 (e.g., two outputs, a single return port 306-a and a single forward port 306-b) of receiving system 305, and transponder system 310 may include two ports 312 (e.g., two outputs, a single return port 312-a and a single forward port 312-b) coupled to respective ports 316 (e.g., two inputs, a single return port 316-a and a single forward port 316-b) of transmitting system 315. Thus, transponder system 310 may support a signal path for coupling its ports 312 with its ports 311 and performing various intervening signal processing.

[0069] Payload 300 may be operable to support different modes (e.g., signaling mode, communication mode, relay mode, signal path mode, signal routing mode, beam signal mode) or combinations of modes for relaying beam signals. Among other operations of satellite 120 including payload 300, such modes may be controlled (e.g., configured, coordinated, initiated) at least in part by payload control system 360, which may be coupled to at least receiving system 305, transponder system 310, and transmitting system 315 to configure one or more aspects of the respective components. For example, control system 360 may support, among other operations, management of beamforming networks (e.g., beamforming network 320, beamforming network 340), activation and deactivation of signal paths of transponder system 310, and management of satellite alignment (e.g., aligning satellite 120 toward a target, changing the orbital path of satellite 120). Control system 360 may include any quantity of one or more processors, which may be co-located within payload 300, distributed throughout payload 300, or both. Any one or more of such processors may be configured (e.g., individually, collectively, by software configuration, by firmware configuration, by hardware configuration, or any combination thereof) to cause satellite 120 (e.g., payload 300) to perform various operations described herein.

[0070] In a first mode, the payload 300 may support relaying of return link signals (e.g., signaling from one or more user terminals 150 to the gateway terminal 130). To support such relaying, the payload 300 may receive first component signals (e.g., return uplink component signals, electromagnetic component signals of the uplink signals 173) via antenna elements (e.g., receive antenna elements) of the receive array 240-a. In some examples, the first component signals may be received by the antenna elements according to a first polarization (e.g., RHCP). In some examples, the first component signals may be received in a first frequency range that may range from 81 to 86 GHz. Each antenna element of the receive array 240-a may output a respective first component signal (e.g., as an electrical component signal) to the beamforming network 320-a (e.g., receive beamformer) (e.g., via a respective output port, such as a respective first output port of the antenna element, which may be associated with the first polarization). For at least some, if not all, of the antenna elements of the receive array 240-a, the beamforming network 320-a may apply a gain, a phase adjustment (e.g., a phase offset), or a time adjustment (e.g., a time offset), or any combination thereof, to the first component signal according to the beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of the receive beam 125 according to the receive beam weights configured by the control system 360) to generate a first uplink beam signal (e.g., a return link uplink beam signal) based on the first component signal received from the antenna element.

[0071] Beamforming network 320-a may include output 322-a (e.g., port, single output, corresponding to output of a return link uplink beam signal corresponding to a first polarization), which may be configured to output a first uplink beam signal (e.g., via port 306-a) to transponder system 310. In some examples, output 322-a may be configured to output the first uplink beam signal in the same frequency range (e.g., a first frequency range, 81-86 GHz) in which the component signals were received. In some examples, output 322-a may be supported by activating amplifier 365-a (e.g., by control system 360).

[0072] A first signal path (e.g., a single return path) of transponder system 310 (e.g., a signal path between ports 311-a and 312-a corresponding to a single return link transponder) may be coupled to output 322-a (e.g., directly or via amplifier 365-a, if applicable) and may receive a first uplink beam signal from beamforming network 320-a (e.g., via port 311-a). In some implementations, transponder system 310 may include frequency conversion between port 311-a and port 312-a. For example, along the first signal path, transponder system 310 may downconvert the first uplink beam signal from a first frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz) to an intermediate frequency (IF) frequency range to generate a first IF signal. For example, the transponder system 310 may include a frequency converter 325-a (e.g., a downconverter) that receives a first uplink beam signal and converts the frequency of the first IF signal to an IF frequency range. In some examples, the IF frequency range may be 11-16 GHz or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as (e.g., spanning) the first frequency range. In some cases, to support the first frequency conversion, the frequency converter 325-a may receive a first oscillator signal having a first oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 70 GHz, 81-86 GHz range to an 11-16 GHz range) from a frequency generator 330, etc., and may output a first IF signal having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the first uplink beam signal and the first oscillator frequency.

[0073] In some examples, payload 300 may be considered a processed payload and may include circuitry for processing techniques such as analog-to-digital conversion, sampling, demodulation, signal extraction, demultiplexing, channelization, multiplexing, signal insertion, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, and other processing techniques. In some such examples, such processing techniques may be implemented on the IF signal between frequency converters 325 and 335. Payload processing may include processing in the analog domain, processing in the digital domain, or both. In some other examples, the payload may be considered a non-processed payload (e.g., in a bent-pipe payload configuration), and the IF signal may be forwarded through transponder system 310 without such processing techniques.

[0074] Along the first signal path, the transponder system 310 may also upconvert the first IF signal from an IF frequency range to a second frequency range to generate a first downlink beam signal (e.g., a return link downlink beam signal). For example, the transponder system 310 may include a frequency converter 335-a (e.g., an upconverter) that receives the first IF signal and converts the frequency of the first downlink beam signal to the second frequency range. In some examples, the second frequency range may be 71 to 76 GHz or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range, the IF frequency range, or both. In some implementations, the first frequency range and the second frequency range may not overlap, which may support aspects of the receiving system 305 and the transmitting system 315 (e.g., antenna elements, signal processing hardware) that are configured according to different operating frequencies and avoid crosstalk between the transmitting system 315 and the receiving system 305. In some cases, to support a second frequency conversion, the frequency converter 335-a may receive a second oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from 60 GHz, 11-16 GHz range to 71-76 GHz range) from the frequency generator 330 or the like, and may output a first downlink beam signal having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the frequency of the first IF signal and the second oscillator frequency.

[0075] Transponder system 310 (e.g., frequency converter 335-a) may output the first downlink beam signal (e.g., via port 312-a or via port 316-a) to a transmit system 315, such as beamforming network 340-a (e.g., a transmit beamformer). Beamforming network 340-a may include input 342-a (e.g., a port, a single input, corresponding to the input of a return link downlink beam signal corresponding to a first polarization), which may be configured to receive the first downlink beam signal from transponder system 310. In some examples, input 342-a may be configured to receive the first downlink beam signal in the same frequency range (e.g., a second frequency range, 71-76 GHz) in which the component signals are transmitted. In some examples, input 342-a may be supported (e.g., by control system 360) by activating amplifier 370-a. For at least some, if not all, of the antenna elements of the transmit array 250-a, the beamforming network 340-a may apply a respective gain, a respective phase adjustment, or a respective time adjustment, or any combination thereof, to the first downlink beam signal to generate component signals (e.g., return link component signals) for the antenna elements. Such component signals may be provided to the antenna elements (e.g., to respective first input ports of the antenna elements) so that the transmit array 250-a can transmit the first downlink beam signal according to a beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of the transmit beam 125 according to the transmit beam weights configured by the control system 360).

[0076] In a second mode, which may be supported by payload 300 independently or simultaneously with the first mode, payload 300 may support relaying of forward link signals (e.g., signaling from gateway terminal 150 to one or more user terminals 150). To support such relaying, payload 300 may receive a second component signal (e.g., a forward uplink component signal, an electromagnetic component signal of uplink signal 132) via antenna elements of receive array 240-a. In some examples, the second component signal may be received by the antenna elements according to a second polarization (e.g., LHCP). In some examples, the second component signal may be received in a first frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz) but according to an orthogonal polarization. Each antenna element of the receive array 240-a may output a respective second component signal (e.g., as an electrical component signal) to the beamforming network 320-b (e.g., a receive beamformer) (e.g., via a respective output port, such as a respective second output port of the antenna element, which may be associated with a second polarization). For at least some, if not all, of the antenna elements of the receive array 240-a, the beamforming network 320-b may apply a gain, a phase adjustment, or a time adjustment, or any combination thereof, to the second component signal according to a beamforming direction to generate a second uplink beam signal (e.g., a forward link uplink beam signal) based on the second component signal received from the antenna element.

[0077] Beamforming network 320-b may include output 322-b (e.g., a port, a single output, corresponding to outputting a forward link uplink beam signal corresponding to a second polarization), which may be configured to output a second uplink beam signal (e.g., via port 306-b) to transponder system 310. In some examples, output 322-b may be configured to output the second uplink beam signal in the same frequency range (e.g., the first frequency range) in which the component signals were received. In some examples, output 322-b may be supported by activating amplifier 365-b (e.g., by control system 360). In some examples, beamforming network 320-a and beamforming network 320-b may be referred to as a single beamforming network 320 of receive system 305 configured to support directional reception of a single respective beam 125 of each of the different polarizations supported by receive array 240-a.

[0078] A second signal path (e.g., a single forward path) of transponder system 310 (e.g., a signal path between ports 311-b and 312-b corresponding to a second signal path or transponder of transponder system 310 corresponding to a single forward link transponder) may be coupled to output 322-b (e.g., directly or via amplifier 365-b, if applicable) and may receive a second uplink beam signal from beamforming network 320-b (e.g., via port 311-b). In some implementations, transponder system 310 may include frequency conversion between port 311-b and port 312-b. For example, along the second signal path, transponder system 310 may downconvert the second uplink beam signal from a first frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz) to an IF frequency range to generate a second IF signal. For example, transponder system 310 may include frequency converter 325-b that receives the second uplink beam signal and converts the frequency of the second IF signal to an IF frequency range (e.g., 11-16 GHz). In some cases, to support the second frequency conversion, frequency converter 325-b may receive a first oscillator signal having a first oscillator frequency, such as from frequency generator 330, and output a second IF signal having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the second uplink beam signal and the first oscillator frequency.

[0079] Along the second signal path, the transponder system 310 may also upconvert the second IF signal from the IF frequency range to a second frequency range to generate a second downlink beam signal (e.g., a forward link downlink beam signal). For example, the transponder system 310 may include a frequency converter 335-b that receives the second IF signal and converts the frequency of the second downlink beam signal to a second frequency range (e.g., 71-76 GHz). In some cases, to support the frequency conversion, the frequency converter 335-b may receive a second oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency, such as from the frequency generator 330, and output the second downlink beam signal having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the frequency of the second IF signal and the second oscillator frequency.

[0080] The transponder system 310 (e.g., frequency converter 335-b) may output the second downlink beam signal to a transmit system 315, such as beamforming network 340-b (e.g., via port 312-b or via port 316-b). Beamforming network 340-b may include input 342-b (e.g., a port, a single input, corresponding to the input of the forward link downlink beam signal), which may be configured to receive the second downlink beam signal from transponder system 310. In some examples, beamforming network 340-a and beamforming network 340-b may be referred to as a single beamforming network 340 of transmit system 315 configured to support directional transmission of a single respective beam 125 of each of the different polarizations supported by transmit array 250-a. In some examples, input 342-b may be configured to receive the second downlink beam signal in the same frequency range in which the component signals are transmitted (e.g., a second frequency range, 71 to 76 GHz). In some examples, such input may be supported by activating amplifier 370-b (e.g., by control system 360). For at least some, if not all, of the antenna elements of transmit array 250-a, beamforming network 340-b may apply a respective gain, a respective phase adjustment, or a respective time adjustment, or any combination thereof, to the second downlink beam signal to generate component signals (e.g., forward link component signals) for the antenna elements. Such component signals may be provided to the antenna elements (e.g., to respective second input ports of the antenna elements) so that transmit array 250-a can transmit the second downlink beam signal according to a beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of transmit beam 125 according to the transmit beam weights configured by control system 360).

[0081] The frequency generator 330 may be implemented in various configurations to support the frequency converters 325 and 335 (e.g., to output one or more oscillator signals). For example, the frequency generator 330 may output one or more oscillator signals using one or more oscillators 380 (e.g., oscillator circuits), or a combination of one or more oscillators 380 and one or more frequency converters 375, among other configurations. In the example payload 300, the frequency generator 330 may include two oscillators 380 for generating oscillator signals at two frequencies to operate the frequency converters 325 and 335. For example, the frequency generator 330 may include an oscillator 380-a configured to generate and output (e.g., to frequency converter 335-a and frequency converter 335-b) an oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency (e.g., 60 GHz). The frequency generator 330 may also include a frequency converter 375, which may generate and output an oscillator signal by receiving a second oscillator signal from oscillator 380-a and a third oscillator signal having a third oscillator frequency (e.g., 10 GHz) from oscillator 380-b configured to generate and output a third oscillator signal. The frequency converter 375 may generate and output (e.g., to frequency converter 325-a and frequency converter 325-b) an oscillator signal based on the sum of the second oscillator frequency and the third oscillator frequency (e.g., 70 GHz). In some other examples, the frequency generator 330 may include two oscillators 380 that generate oscillator signals directly at the respective frequencies of frequency converters 325 and 335 (e.g., 60 GHz, 70 GHz).

[0082] Payload 300 may implement a positioning and steering system 385 that may manage operations related to modifying orbital characteristics of satellite 120, including payload 300, such as modifying the orbital path of satellite 120 (e.g., velocity along the orbital path, altitude of the orbital path, course of the orbital path) or the orientation of satellite 120 (e.g., to steer satellite 120 along the orbital path, to orient axis 245 of receive array 240-a, to orient axis 255 of transmit array 250-a, to orient side 215 of satellite 120). For example, positioning and steering system 385 may include thrusters 286 that may be operated at least in part by control system 360 to modify the orbital path of satellite 120. Additionally or alternatively, positioning and steering system 385 may include angular momentum systems, such as reaction wheels, control moment gyroscopes (CMGs), or both. Control system 360 may implement an angular momentum system (e.g., to steer satellite 120 by converting between angular momentum and electrical energy) to adjust the orientation of satellite 120, for example, to support improved communication of beam signals.

[0083] In some cases, payload 300 may receive power from satellite 120 (e.g., from solar elements 230), for example, using power system 308 (e.g., a DC power converter). In some cases, power system 308 may include or be coupled to a power storage system, such as an on-board battery. Power system 308 may extract power from the battery to power aspects of payload 300, transfer power to the battery, or both. Additionally or alternatively, power system 308 may be coupled to positioning and steering system 385. For example, power system 308 may extract power from an angular momentum system, transfer power to an angular momentum system, or both (e.g., impose angular acceleration or deceleration on satellite 120).

[0084] In some cases, the control system 360 may operate according to signaling received by the satellite 120. Such signaling may be associated with a frequency range (e.g., 13.5 GHz) centered within the IF frequency range. For example, the payload 300 may include an operation command receiver 362 that may decode commands (e.g., command messages) received by the receiving system 305. In some examples, the operation command receiver 362 may decode messages (e.g., commands from the gateway terminal 130) included in the second uplink beam signal. For example, the second signal path may include a coupler 328 (e.g., a signal path junction) that supports relaying at least a portion of the second IF signal to both the frequency converter 335-b and the operation command receiver 362. The coupler 328 may include one or more switches (e.g., operable using the control system 360) to support relaying the second IF signal to the operation command receiver 362, signal addition (e.g., summing), or both, among other examples. In some cases, the operational command receiver 362 may receive a schedule including information such as beam weights (e.g., array beam pointing information for the beamforming networks 320 and 340), instructions for body steering operations, beam hopping information, or the like, which may be provided to the control system 360.

[0085] Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-a may use data link transmitter 367 (e.g., a command transmitter) to transmit signaling to indicate the status of satellite 120. Such signaling may also be associated with a frequency range (e.g., 13.5 GHz) centered within the IF frequency range. For example, data link transmitter 367 may generate a beacon signal containing information such as telemetry, satellite 120 health status, payload status (e.g., the status of payload 300), or other information. Data link transmitter 367 may transmit the generated beacon signal to coupler 329 (e.g., a summing circuit), which may add the beacon signal to a downlink beam signal (e.g., a return downlink beam signal, a forward downlink beam signal). For example, coupler 329 may include one or more switches or other circuits that support summing the IF signal and the beacon signal along the signal path.

[0086] Thus, payload 300 illustrates an example for supporting communications with receive system 305, transponder system 310, and transmit system 315 having specific ports assigned to specific types of communications, and thus specific types of signaling characteristics. For example, receive system 305 may be configured for an uplink frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz), and transmit system 315 may be configured for a downlink frequency range (e.g., 71-76 GHz) that does not overlap with the uplink frequency range. Orthogonality for the different ports between forward and return communications in receive system 305 and transmit system 315 may be provided by orthogonal polarizations, such as assigning an RHCP to return communications and an LHCP to forward link communications. In some examples, the transponder system 310 may therefore include a single signal path for forward communications between the receiving system 305 and the transmitting system 315, which includes a net frequency conversion from the uplink frequency range to the downlink frequency range and maintains the forward link polarization, and a single signal path for return communications between the receiving system 305 and the transmitting system 315, which includes a net frequency conversion from the uplink frequency range to the downlink frequency range and maintains the return link polarization association. Such a configuration may provide an efficient means for two-way signal relay on a satellite 120 (e.g., satellite 120-a) that includes the payload 300.

[0087] In some examples, the gains of the forward link transponder (e.g., between output 322-a and input 342-a) and the return link transponder (e.g., between output 322-b and input 342-b) of payload 300 may be different and configured based on their respective signaling characteristics. For example, amplifier 365-a may be configured with a gain based on the transmit power of antenna assembly 151, and amplifier 365-b may have a gain based on the transmit power of gateway antenna system 131. In some examples, amplifier 365-a may therefore have a gain that is different from (e.g., greater than) the gain of amplifier 365-b. Furthermore, amplifier 370-a may be configured with a gain based on the receive sensitivity of gateway antenna system 131, and amplifier 370-b may have a gain based on the receive sensitivity of antenna assembly 151. In some examples, amplifier 370-b may therefore have a gain that is different from (e.g., greater than) the gain of amplifier 370-a. Additionally, in some examples, the gains of the forward link transponder and the return link transponder may be biased to favor one direction of communication over another. For example, the forward link transponder may be configured with a relatively higher or lower gain (e.g., within the given power constraints of the satellite 120 including the payload 300) than the gain of the return link transponder. Although amplifier 365 is illustrated as a component of the receive system 305 and amplifier 370 is illustrated as a component of the transmit system 315, in some other examples, amplifier 365, amplifier 370, or both may be considered components of the transponder system 310 or otherwise support the configuration of the net gain of the forward link transponder and the return link transponder of the payload 300.

[0088] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the configuration of the scan angle between beamforming network 320 and beamforming network 340 may differ between uplink and downlink communications (e.g., between beamforming network 320 and beamforming network 340), between forward and return communications (e.g., between forward and return transponders), or combinations thereof, or other differences due to various aspects of link balance or bias. For example, payload 300 may be configured to relay signaling to gateway terminal 130 within a relatively smaller portion (e.g., a more centrally located portion, a narrower portion) of the service area than for relaying signaling to user terminal 150, which may be associated with reduced scan loss (e.g., reduced attenuation) when communicating signaling with gateway terminal 130. In such an example, the beamforming network 320-a, the beamforming network 340-b, or both may be configured according to a first scan angle range, and the beamforming network 320-b, the beamforming network 340-a, or both may be configured according to a second scan angle range greater than the first scan angle range (e.g., a relatively narrow range of scan angles for signaling with the gateway terminal 130 and a relatively wide range of scan angles for signaling with the user terminal 150).

[0089] In some such examples, communications system 100 may thus be configured such that axis 245, axis 255, or both, of satellite 120 including payload 300 may be aligned closer to gateway terminal 130 than to user terminal 150 served by gateway terminal 130. In some examples, to support communications of a coverage area via gateway terminal 130, satellite 120 including payload 300 may be configured to orient axis 245, axis 255, or both, toward a location of the coverage area that is within a first range of angular separation from the direction of gateway terminal 130. In such an orientation, satellite 120 may support communications with one or more user terminals 150 each located along a respective other direction that is within a second range of angular separation from axis 245, axis 255, or both, where the second range of angular separation may be greater than the first range of angular separation. For example, the second range of angular separation can be at least 50% greater than the first range of angular separation, at least 100% greater than the first range of angular separation (e.g., at least a factor of 2 greater), or some other amount greater than the first range of angular separation.

[0090] FIG. 4 illustrates an example payload implementation 400 supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. The payload implementation 400 may be supported by a satellite 120-b including an example payload 300. The payload 300 may support one or more operating modes for the satellite 120-b to relay communications between a gateway antenna system 131-a (e.g., included in a gateway terminal 130) and an antenna assembly 151-a (e.g., a user antenna assembly of a user terminal 150), among other devices. To support such operating modes, the satellite 120-b (e.g., payload 300) may support one or more configurations (e.g., signal path configuration, relay configuration) that support return link signaling, forward link signaling, or a combination thereof. For example, the payload 300 may be configured to support signal paths 405, each of which includes one of path 430 (e.g., a single forward path) or path 435 (e.g., a single return path).

[0091] To support the first configuration, payload implementation 400 may be configured to relay signaling from antenna assembly 151-a to gateway antenna system 131-a (e.g., as a return link relay). For example, receive system 305 may receive uplink signal 173-a (e.g., a return uplink signal) from antenna assembly 151-a according to beam 125-c-2 (e.g., as a receive beam). In this case, beam 125-c-2 may be formed using, for example, beamforming network 320-a, which may be configured by control system 360 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in beamforming network 320-a, align directional reception along beam direction 127-c-2, and generate beam 125-c-2 according to scan angle θ2). In some examples, control system 360 may be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 405-a (e.g., path 435, return beam signal path, including a single return link transponder) that couples port 311-a to port 312-a and routes a return link signal from receiving system 305 to transmitting system 315 via transponder system 310. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 320-a or beamforming network 340-a, activating amplifier 365-a or amplifier 370-a, activating ports 306-a, 311-a, 312-a, 316-a or a connection therebetween, activating frequency converter 325-a or 335-a, or any combination thereof, among other activations. Thus, the transmission system 315 may transmit a downlink signal 133-a (e.g., a return downlink signal) based at least in part on (e.g., including information about) the uplink signal 173-a to the gateway antenna system 131-a. The transmission system 315 may transmit the downlink signal 133-a according to (e.g., as a transmit beam) the beam 125-c-1.In this case, beam 125-c-1 may be formed, for example, using beamforming network 340-a, which may be configured by control system 360 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in beamforming network 340-a, align directional transmissions along beam direction 127-c-1, and generate beam 125-c-1 according to scan angle θ1).

[0092] To support the second configuration, payload implementation 400 may be configured to relay signaling from gateway antenna system 131-a to antenna assembly 151-a (e.g., as a forward link relay). For example, receive system 305 may receive uplink signal 132-a (e.g., a forward uplink signal) from gateway antenna system 131-a according to beam 125-c-1 (e.g., as a receive beam). In this case, beam 125-c-1 may be formed using, for example, beamforming network 320-b, which may be configured by control system 360 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in beamforming network 320-b, align directional reception along beam direction 127-c-1, and generate beam 125-c-1 according to scan angle θ1). Although the example payload implementation 400 illustrates beam 125-c-1 being used for receiving and transmitting, the receiving system 305 and the transmitting system 315 may implement beam 125-c-1 independently (e.g., using different circuitry, using different beam weights, simultaneously, at different times) or may be configured to receive and transmit along different beam directions 127. In some examples, the control system 360 may be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) a signal path 405-b (e.g., path 430, forward beam signal path, including a single forward link transponder) that couples port 311-b to port 312-b and routes a forward link signal through the transponder system 310 (e.g., from port 311-b to port 312-b) to the transmitting system 315. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 320-b or beamforming network 340-b, activating amplifier 365-b or amplifier 370-b, activating ports 306-b, 311-b, 312-b, 316-b or connections therebetween, activating frequency converter 325-b or 335-b, or any combination thereof, among other activations.Thus, the transmission system 315 may transmit a downlink signal 172-a (e.g., a forward downlink signal) based at least in part on (e.g., including information about) the uplink signal 132-a to the antenna assembly 151-a. The transmission system 315 may transmit the downlink signal 172-a according to the beam 125-c-2. In this case, the beam 125-c-2 may be formed using, for example, the beamforming network 340-b, which may be configured by the control system 360 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 340-a, align directional transmissions along the beam direction 127-c-2, and generate the beam 125-c-2 according to the scan angle θ2). The example payload implementation 400 also illustrates beam 125-c-2 being used for receiving and transmitting, but the receiving system 305 and transmitting system 315 may implement beam 125-c-2 independently (e.g., using different circuitry, using different beam weights, simultaneously, at different times) or may be configured to receive and transmit along different beam directions 127.

[0093] Thus, satellite 120-b may be operated in different modes, which may implement a first configuration (e.g., for return link relaying), or a second configuration (e.g., for forward link relaying), or a combination of the first and second configurations (e.g., for two-way relaying). To support such modes, satellite 120-b may also be configured to orient itself (e.g., using positioning and steering system 385, body steer using control system 360) along various directions to support signal relay performance of payload 300 (e.g., throughout the duration that satellite 120-b traverses a portion of orbital path 420 while signal path 405 is activated). For example, satellite 120-b may steer direction 415 from satellite 120-b, which may correspond to an outward direction from side 215, the positive z direction of satellite 120-b, axis 245, axis 255, or a combination thereof.

[0094] In some implementations, the satellite 120-b may be aligned in a nadir-down orientation during such a mode, such that the positioning and steering system 385 is configured to orient the direction 415 toward the center of the Earth as the satellite 120-b traverses along its orbital path 420. In some other implementations, steering the direction 415 may be based on a combination of the location of the gateway antenna system 131-a and the location of the antenna assembly 151-a (e.g., in combination with the location of the satellite 120-b). For example, the direction 415 (e.g., the orientation of the satellite 120-b) may be determined (e.g., at the satellite 120-b, at the network controller of the ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between the receive array 240-a and the transmit array 250-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of the target device (e.g., the antenna assembly 151-a, the gateway antenna system 131-a). In some examples, direction 415 may be continuously calculated to be between (e.g., bisecting) the angle between beam direction 127-c-1 and beam direction 127-c-2 as satellite 120-b traverses orbital path 420, which may relax the scan angle of beamforming networks 320 and 340 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference of θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics).

[0095] In some examples, the positioning and steering system 385 may be configured to orient the direction 415 toward the target 410 as the satellite 120-b traverses the orbital path 420 (e.g., steer the direction 415 toward the target 410 as the satellite 120-b traverses a portion of the orbital path 420 between the location 425-a on the orbital path 420 and the location 425-b on the orbital path 420). In some examples, the target 410 may be a fixed location (e.g., a terrestrial location, a location within a service area associated with a set of one or more user terminals 150, a location within a service area associated with a set of one or more gateway terminals 130), among other examples, and the satellite 120-b may steer the direction 415 toward the target 410 continuously or discontinuously (e.g., according to multiple discrete steering impulses).

[0096] In some examples, orienting satellite 120-b may also include rotating satellite 120-b about a central axis of satellite 120-b (e.g., about the z-direction, about direction 415). For example, control system 360 may configure positioning and steering system 385 to rotate satellite 120-b about the z-direction (e.g., about direction 415) based on antenna parameters (e.g., the directional sensitivity of receive array 240, transmit array 250 along the x-direction, along the y-direction, or both), among other examples, or may orient satellite 120-b to improve energy collection using solar elements 230.

[0097] Satellite 120-b may be configured to perform such operations by various means. For example, satellite 120-b may determine such configuration based on information stored on satellite 120-b, such as information regarding communication allocations, terminal locations, characteristics of orbital path 420, and other information. In some examples, satellite 120-b may be configured by one or more controllers of ground segment 101, which may include signaling from the ground segment to satellite 120-b (e.g., uplink signal 132, signal 181, signal 183, signal 173, signal 175, or a combination thereof, a signal from gateway terminal 130 received along an earlier point on orbital path 420, which may be relayed via another satellite 120 or satellite 180). For example, network device 141 or gateway terminal 130 (e.g., a network controller) may determine various aspects of satellite 120-b's configuration and configure satellite 120-b by signaling to satellite 120-b.

[0098] 5A and 5B illustrate an example of a satellite 120-c supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. The satellite 120-c may be configured to be deployed in an NGSO and may support various aspects of the techniques described in the communications system 100. For example, the satellite 120-c may support targeting functionality for receiving and transmitting beam signals, which may enable the relatively small size and relatively low complexity of the satellite 120-c. In some examples, the relatively small size of the satellite 120-c may support, among other factors, the relatively low cost and overhead associated with deploying the satellite 120-c in the communications system 100. For example, multiple satellites 120-c may be deployed from the same launch vehicle payload rather than launching and deploying each satellite 120-c individually. While some techniques are described with reference to a satellite 120-c operating in an NGSO, in some other examples, one or more of the described techniques may be implemented in a satellite 120 or satellite 180 operating in a geostationary orbit, among other implementation aspects.

[0099] Satellite 120-c may have a generally prismatic shape and may be described with reference to the x, y, and z directions of coordinate system 500. Satellite 120-c may include a body portion 510 having sides (e.g., surfaces that may be flat or curved), which may include side 511, side 512, side 513, side 514, side 515, and side 516. In some examples, the sides of satellite 120-c may be orthogonal, while in some other examples, the sides of satellite 120-c may be at different orientations, such as satellite 120-c having a trapezoidal prismatic shape, a diamond prismatic shape, a hexagonal prismatic shape, an octagonal prismatic shape, or other shapes.

[0100] In some examples, satellite 120-c may include one or more panels 520 deployable from body portion 510, such as panels 520-a and 520-b, which are rotatably coupled to body portion 510 using hinges 525. In some implementations, panels 520 may carry one or more solar elements 530, which may be positioned on one or both sides of each panel 520 and may provide power to operational components of satellite 120-c. For example, satellite 120-c may include a first solar panel array configured to deploy from side 513 and a second solar panel array configured to deploy from side 514. In some examples, a control system of satellite 120-c may manage the deployment of panels 520 using hinges 525.

[0101] Satellite 120-c may support wireless communications between ground terminals, for example, by receiving uplink signaling (e.g., forward uplink signaling, return uplink signaling, uplink signal 132, uplink signal 173) using receive array 540 (e.g., uplink array, panel array, direct radiating array) and transmitting downlink signaling (e.g., forward downlink signaling, return downlink signaling, downlink signal 172, downlink signal 133) using transmit array 550 (e.g., downlink array, panel array, direct radiating array). For example, receive array 540 may be configured to receive signaling from the ground terminal, and transmit array 550 may be configured to transmit signaling to the ground terminal.

[0102] Satellite 120-c may also support wireless communications with or via other satellites 120 or 180, for example, by receiving crosslink signaling using receive array 560 (e.g., a crosslink receive array) and, in some examples, by transmitting crosslink signaling using transmit array 550 (e.g., as a combined downlink and crosslink array). For example, satellite 120-c may use transmit array 550 as a downlink array (e.g., to transmit downlink signals) and may additionally or alternatively use the same transmit array 550 as a crosslink transmit array (e.g., to transmit signal 175 and to transmit signal 183 as a GEO link to satellite 180). By using transmit array 550 as both a downlink array and a crosslink transmit array, satellite 120-c may communicate crosslink signals without including a dedicated crosslink transmit array, thereby including a single high-power transmit array. Because signal transmission may be associated with relatively high power applications, using a single transmit array 550 may therefore enable satellite 120-c to operate with reduced power consumption or reduced heat generation, and may have reduced cost, reduced weight, reduced complexity, and improved packaging considerations compared to satellite 120 having dedicated crosslink transmit arrays. Additionally, using a single transmit array 550 may improve or simplify the design of satellite 120-c by allowing greater flexibility in positioning (e.g., securing) components such as receive array 540, transmit array 550, and receive array 560.

[0103] The receive array 540, the transmit array 550, and the receive array 560 may be physically located on (e.g., located on and fixed to) the satellite 120-c to support efficient communication of the beam signals (e.g., via the beam 125) with the user terminal 150, the gateway terminal 130, and other satellites 120 or satellite 180. For example, both the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 may be located on side 515 of the satellite 120-c, and the receive array 560 may be located on side 516 of the satellite 120-c (e.g., a second side of the satellite 120-c, the side opposite the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550), or on another side of the satellite 120-c (e.g., side 511, side 512, side 513, side 514) different from the side including the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 (e.g., providing the second side of the satellite 120-c for signal reception).

[0104] In some examples, the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 may be separate assemblies of antenna elements (e.g., an assembly of receive elements separate from an assembly of transmit elements), which may support relatively improved signal isolation and packaging, among other advantages. In some other examples, the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 may refer to interleaved antenna elements (e.g., receive elements and transmit elements distributed among at least partially overlapping surface areas), or may be implemented as a single array implementing antenna elements for both receive and transmit (e.g., as transceiver elements).

[0105] To support communications with the ground segment 101 using the receive array 540, the transmit array 550, or both, the satellite 120-c may be oriented so that the side 515 (e.g., the nominal direction of the side 515, the axis of the side 515, the positive z-direction of the satellite 120-c) is aligned toward the Earth (e.g., toward the service area, toward the location of the service area). Additionally or alternatively, to support communications with one or more other satellites 120 or 180 using the receive array 560, the transmit array 550, or both, the satellite 120-c may be oriented so that the side 515, or the side 516, or both, is aligned generally toward another satellite 120 or 180 (e.g., within the scan range of the beamformer of the associated array).

[0106] The receive array 540, the transmit array 550, and the receive array 560 may each be associated with an axis (e.g., nominal axis, boresight axis, boresight direction, outward direction) that may be the nominal direction of the respective array. In some examples, such a nominal direction may be associated with the direction of the array's peak gain capability (e.g., the direction of maximum radiated power, the direction of maximum receive sensitivity, the direction of lowest distortion). For example, the receive array 540 may be associated with axis 545, and the transmit array 550 may be associated with axis 555, each of which may be aligned along a positive z direction from the satellite 120-c (e.g., along a direction fixed relative to the body portion 510, along a direction from the side 515, or along a parallel direction). Thus, aligning the receive array 540, the transmit array 550, or both toward a target may be associated with orienting the satellite 120-c so that the positive z direction is aligned toward the target. Additionally, receive array 560 may be associated with axis 565, which may be aligned along a negative z direction from satellite 120-c (e.g., a direction parallel to axis 545, a direction parallel to axis 555, a direction different from axis 545 and axis 555). In some implementations, aligning receive array 560 toward a target (e.g., a second target, along a second target direction) may additionally or alternatively be associated with orienting satellite 120-c so that the negative z direction is aligned toward the target.

[0107] Thus, satellite 120-c illustrates an example in which receive array 540 (e.g., axis 545) and transmit array 550 (e.g., axis 545) may be oriented along one direction and receive array 560 (e.g., axis 565) may be oriented along a different direction, providing an additional degree of flexibility for directing beam 125. In the example of satellite 120-c, the direction of axis 565 is separated from the directions of axes 545 and 555 by 180 degrees (e.g., points in the opposite direction), however, in some other examples in accordance with the described techniques, the direction of axis 565 may be separated from the directions of axes 545 and 555 by different angles (e.g., as a fixed separation angle between the arrays), such as 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees, 135 degrees, among others. Furthermore, such techniques may be supported by surfaces of satellite 120 that are not flat, such as one or more curved arrays or arrays of other shapes otherwise associated with axes 545, 555, and 565, or fixed arrays of antenna elements (e.g., in the case of satellite 120 having one or more curved surfaces, such as cylindrical or spherical surfaces). Furthermore, while in the example of satellite 120-c, axes 545 and 555 are parallel, in some other examples, the directions of axes 545 and 555 may be separated by a fixed angle, such as 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, or some other fixed angle (e.g., between the outward direction of the sides of satellite 120 and the nominal direction of the curved arrays of satellite 120).

[0108] In some examples, the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 may have similar cross-sectional areas, or the same number of antenna elements, or both. In some other examples, one of the receive array 540 or the transmit array 550 may be relatively larger than the other, or may have a relatively larger number of antenna elements, or may have relatively larger antenna elements, or a combination thereof. For example, the receive array 540 may be configured to receive signals in a first frequency range, and the transmit array 550 may be configured to transmit signals in a second frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range. In some examples, the receive array 560 may be configured to receive signals in a third frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range but may be included in the second frequency range (e.g., to support receiving crosslink signals in a crosslink frequency range using the receive array 560 and transmitting crosslink signals in the crosslink frequency range using the transmit array 550).

[0109] In an example where the first frequency range is relatively higher than the second frequency range, the receive array 540 may be relatively smaller than the transmit array 550, which may be associated with relatively shorter wavelengths at relatively higher frequencies. Similarly, in an example where the third frequency range is a relatively lower portion of the second frequency range, the receive array 560 may be relatively larger than the transmit array 550 (e.g., for relatively improved crosslink receive sensitivity), which may be associated with relatively longer wavelengths at relatively lower frequencies. However, in various other implementations, such relative sizing or quantities of antenna elements may be reversed or otherwise different between the receive array 540, transmit array 550, and receive array 560 (e.g., depending on the relative frequencies supported by each array). Additionally or alternatively, the relative sizing or quantity of antenna elements may be balanced among receive array 540, transmit array 550, and receive array 560 based on other criteria such as link balancing or biasing via satellite 120-c (e.g., balancing performance characteristics between forward link and return link communications, biasing performance characteristics to support relatively high forward link throughput, balancing performance characteristics between gateway terminals and user terminals, such as associated antenna characteristics), among other balancing.

[0110] In some examples, the receive array 540, the transmit array 550, or both may have triangular cross-sections. For example, when sharing a face of a satellite 120-c, dividing the surface area of ​​the face into triangles may support the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550 having more uniform beamforming characteristics than if the surface area were divided into adjacent rectangles or other shapes. In some other examples, the area of ​​the shared face of the satellite 120-c may be divided into rectangular cross-sections or other shapes for the receive array 540 and the transmit array 550, and during operation, the satellite 120-c may be rotated so that any beamforming or other signaling asymmetries may be advantageously aligned along a particular rotational direction. For example, the relative long dimensions of the receive array 540 or the transmit array 550 may be aligned along a particular direction, such as the direction of separation between the beams 125, which may reduce beamforming scan losses at angles relative to the axes 545 and 555 or relative to the z-direction of the satellite 120-c.

[0111] A receive system (e.g., a receive antenna system, an uplink antenna system, a receive system including receive array 540, a crosslink receive antenna system, a receive system including receive array 560) of satellite 120-c may support receiving beam signals (e.g., uplink signal 132, uplink signal 173, crosslink signal 175, signal 183 via beam 125) from one or more target devices, such as one or more user terminals 150, one or more gateway terminals 130, another satellite 120, satellite 180, or a combination thereof. For example, receive array 540 may include one or more receive elements (e.g., receive antenna elements, receive feed elements) located on side 515 configured to receive signaling from the target devices, and receive array 560 may include one or more receive elements on side 516 configured to receive signaling from the target devices.

[0112] In some implementations, the receive elements of the receive array 540 may support reception of respective component signals associated with different polarizations and may be associated with or include respective ports (e.g., one or more ports, respective input ports, respective output ports) configured for the component signals associated with a particular polarization. For example, a set of receive elements of the receive array 540 may receive first component signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) of a first receive beam signal, each first component signal having a first polarization. The received first component signals may be converted (e.g., to electrical signals) and output using a set of first antenna element ports (e.g., output ports). Thus, at least some of the receive elements may receive portions or components of the first receive beam signal and output associated electrical signals from their respective first ports (e.g., to a first receive beamforming network corresponding to the first polarization). In some examples, the set of receiving elements may also receive second component signals of the second receive beam signal, each second component signal having a second polarization (e.g., different from and orthogonal to the first polarization). The received second component signals may be converted and output using a second set of antenna element ports. Thus, at least some of the receiving elements may also receive portions or components of the second receive beam signal and output associated electrical signals from their respective second ports (e.g., to a second receive beamforming network corresponding to the second polarization).

[0113] In some implementations, the receive elements of the receive array 560 may support reception of respective component signals associated with a cross-link polarization (e.g., a single polarization for a signal received from another satellite 120 or from satellite 180), which may be the same as one of the first or second polarizations associated with the receive elements of the receive array 540. For example, a set of receive elements of the receive array 560 may receive third component signals of a third receive beam signal, each third component signal having a cross-link polarization. The received third component signals may be converted and output using a set of third antenna element ports (e.g., output ports). Thus, at least some of the receive elements of the receive array 560 may receive a portion or component of the third receive beam signal and output an associated electrical signal from their respective third ports (e.g., to a third receive beamforming network corresponding to the cross-link polarization).

[0114] In some examples, the receive array 540 may be configured to receive signaling according to a first polarization associated with forward link communications and according to a second polarization associated with return link communications, in which case the first polarization may be orthogonal to the second polarization. For example, the first polarization may be an example of LHCP, and the second polarization may be an example of RHCP. In various examples, the cross-link polarization supported by the receive array 560 may therefore be either LHCP or RHCP. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second polarizations may be linearly polarized, such as the first polarization having a vertical polarization and the second polarization having a horizontal polarization, and therefore the cross-link polarization supported by the receive array 560 may be either vertically or horizontally polarized.

[0115] One or more receive systems of satellite 120-c may include one or more beamforming networks that may be configured to support directional reception via receive array 540 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of receive array 540) about axis 545 or to support directional reception via receive array 560 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of receive array 560) about axis 565. For example, such beamforming networks of one or more receive systems may each be configured to output one or more beam signals according to a respective beam 125 (e.g., receive beam) using component signals from a set of receive elements of receive array 540 or from a set of receive elements of receive array 560.

[0116] In some implementations, one or more receive systems of satellite 120-c may include a first beamforming network coupled to outputs of a first set of antenna element ports (e.g., associated with receive array 540) and may receive a first set of component signals (e.g., forward link component signals) from the first set of antenna element ports. The first beamforming network may output a single beam signal (e.g., forward link beam signal) associated with a first polarization to, for example, a transponder (e.g., a forward link transponder, a forward link signal path, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal to a transmit system, such as a transmit system including transmit array 550. In some implementations, one or more receive systems may also include a second beamforming network coupled to outputs of a second set of antenna element ports (e.g., associated with receive array 540) and may receive a second set of component signals (e.g., return link component signals) from the second set of ports. The second beamforming network may, for example, output a single beam signal (e.g., return link beam signal) associated with the second polarization to a transponder (e.g., return link transponder, return link signal path, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal to a transmit system, such as a transmit system including the transmit array 550. In some implementations, the receive system may also include a third beamforming network coupled to the output of a third set of antenna element ports (e.g., associated with the receive array 560) and may receive a third set of component signals (e.g., cross link component signals) from the third set of ports. The third beamforming network may, for example, output a single beam signal (e.g., cross link beam signal) associated with the cross link polarization to a transponder (e.g., cross signal path, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal to a transmit system, such as a transmit system including the transmit array 550.

[0117] The transmit system (e.g., a transmit antenna system, a combined crosslink / downlink antenna system, a transmit system including a transmit array 550) of satellite 120-c may support transmitting beam signals (e.g., downlink signal 133, downlink signal 172, crosslink signal 175 via beam 125) to one or more target devices, such as one or more user terminals 150, one or more gateway terminals 130, or a combination thereof. For example, transmit array 550 may include one or more transmit elements (e.g., transmit antenna elements, transmit feed elements) located on side 515 configured to transmit signaling to the target devices. The transmit elements may include physical transducers that convert electrical signals (e.g., electrical component signals) into electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals).

[0118] The transmit system of satellite 120-c may include one or more beamforming networks (e.g., transmit beamforming networks) that may be configured to support directional transmission via transmit array 550 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of transmit array 550) relative to axis 555. For example, each such beamforming network of the transmit system may be configured to transmit one or more beam signals according to a respective beam 125 (e.g., transmit beam) using component signals output to a set of transmit elements of transmit array 550.

[0119] In some implementations, the transmission system may include a first beamforming network coupled to inputs of a first set of antenna element ports. The first beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a transmit beam signal, a forward link beam signal, or a cross link beam signal) associated with a first polarization, for example, from a transponder, which may route the beam signal from one or more receiving systems including receive array 540 and receive array 560. The first beamforming network may output a set of first component signals (e.g., a forward link component signal or a cross link component signal) to the first set of antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 associated with the first polarization. In some implementations, the transmission system may also include a second beamforming network coupled to inputs of a second set of antenna element ports. The second beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal) associated with a second polarization, for example, from a transponder, which may route the beam signal from one or more receiving systems. The second beamforming network may output a second set of component signals (e.g., return link component signals) to a second set of antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 associated with a second polarization.

[0120] In some implementations, the transmit elements of the transmit array 550 may support transmission of respective component signals associated with different polarizations and may be associated with or include respective ports (e.g., respective input ports, respective output ports) configured for component signals associated with particular polarizations. For example, a set of transmit elements may use a first set of antenna element ports (e.g., input ports) to receive first component signals (e.g., electrical component signals from a first transmit beamforming network corresponding to a first polarization) of a first transmit beam signal (e.g., a forward link signal, a crosslink signal), which may be converted by the transmit elements into electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) transmitted by the transmit elements according to the first polarization. Thus, at least some of the transmit elements may receive a portion or component of the first transmit beam signal and transmit an associated electromagnetic signal having the first polarization. In some examples, the set of transmit elements may use a second set of antenna element ports (e.g., input ports) to receive second component signals (e.g., from a second transmit beamforming network corresponding to a second polarization) of a second transmit beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal), which may be converted by the transmit elements into electromagnetic signals transmitted by the transmit elements according to the second polarization. Thus, at least some of the transmit elements may also receive portions or components of the second transmit beam signal and transmit associated electromagnetic signals having a second polarization (e.g., different from and orthogonal to the first polarization).

[0121] In some examples, the transmit array 550 may transmit signaling according to a first polarization associated with forward link communications (e.g., signaling to the user terminal 150) and crosslink communications (e.g., to another satellite 120, to the satellite 180), and a second polarization associated with return link communications (e.g., signaling to the gateway terminal 130), in which case the first polarization may be orthogonal to the second polarization. For example, the first polarization may be an example of LHCP, and the second polarization may be an example of RHCP. Additionally or alternatively, the first polarization and the second polarization may be linearly polarized, such as the first polarization having a vertical polarization and the second polarization having a horizontal polarization. In some implementations, the transmit array 550 may implement the same polarization as the receive array 540 and the receive array 560 for forward and crosslink communications (e.g., implementing LHCP for the forward link or crosslink) and may implement the same polarization as the receive array 540 for return communications (e.g., implementing RHCP for the return link). In some other implementations, the transmit array 550 may implement a different polarization as the receive array 540 or the receive array 560 or both for forward communications or for return communications or both.

[0122] In some implementations, satellite 120-c may include additional components to support wireless communications with gateway terminal 130, user terminal 150, other satellites 120, or satellite 180, among other devices. For example, satellite 120-c may include a patch antenna 584 (e.g., an S-band patch antenna), an omni-directional antenna 582 (e.g., an omnidirectional antenna), or both, which may support communications (e.g., transmit control signaling, receive control signaling) in a limited frequency range (e.g., 2 GHz to 4 GHz, non-overlapping with or otherwise distinct from receive array 540, transmit array 550, and receive array 560). In some examples, one or more of such antennas may communicate control signals (e.g., via a control band), such as scheduling information, orbit adjustment information, and so forth. Additionally or alternatively, patch antenna 584, omni antenna 582, or both may support transmitting or receiving signal 182, receiving uplink signal 132, receiving uplink signal 173, transmitting downlink signal 133, transmitting downlink signal 172, transmitting or receiving crosslink signal 175, or any combination thereof, among other examples. In some examples, patch antenna 584, omni antenna 582, or both may be located on a different side of satellite 120-c than receive array 540 and transmit array 550, e.g., side 511 or side 516 (e.g., opposite receive array 540 and transmit array 550).

[0123] In some implementations, satellite 120-c may include a tracking system 580 (e.g., a star tracker) to support detection of telemetry information for satellite 120-c. For example, tracking system 580 may measure the positions of stars or other objects to determine the location of satellite 120-c, the velocity of satellite 120-c, the orientation of satellite 120-c, or any combination thereof. In some examples, satellite 120-c may use the characteristics of satellite 120-c determined by tracking system 580 to determine or calculate an orbital path or other telemetry information, transmit the telemetry information (e.g., using a telemetry beacon), or use the telemetry information to control the orientation of satellite 120-c (e.g., using an angular momentum system) or determine the direction of each of one or more beams 125, among other implementations. Tracking system 580 may be located on a plane of satellite 120-c different from the plane including receive array 540, transmit array 550, and receive array 560, such as on side 512.

[0124] In some implementations, satellite 120-c may include one or more components that support control of orbital parameters of satellite 120-c. For example, satellite 120-c may include one or more thrusters 586, which in some examples may be located on a side (e.g., side 511) of satellite 120-c different from receive array 540, transmit array 550, and receive array 560, or on one or more other sides. Thrusters 586 may be operable to modify the orbital path of satellite 120-c. Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-c may include an angular momentum system (e.g., internal to satellite 120-c, not shown) operable to orient (e.g., rotate) satellite 120-c about one or more axes (e.g., to align one or more sides of satellite 120-c along one or more target directions, to align axis 545, axis 555, axis 565, or a combination thereof along one or more target directions).

[0125] Satellite 120-c may include a control system that supports various operations of satellite 120-c. For example, such a control system may configure aspects of directional reception, directional transmission, or both, such as modifying beam weights or beam hopping in one or more beamforming networks of the receiving system, the transmitting system, or both. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may be configured to modify orbital characteristics of satellite 120-c (e.g., in conjunction with enabling transponder signal paths and configuring beamforming parameters), such as to modify the alignment of satellite 120-c (e.g., using the angular momentum system of satellite 120-c to body steer to align the satellite's face, such as side 515 or side 516, or its antenna system, such as axis 545 or axis 555, along various directions), or to change the orbital path itself (e.g., using thrusters 586 to change the satellite's 120-c's altitude or redirect the satellite's 120-c's orbital path). In various implementations, such a control system may perform actions based on configuration (e.g., pre-configuration, hardware configuration, software configuration) at satellite 120-c, based on signaling received at satellite 120-c (e.g., via signal 132, via signal 173, via signal 183, via receive array 540, via patch antenna 584, via omni-antenna 582, from a network controller, from a terminal, command signaling, parameter signaling, instructions), based on detection at satellite 120-c (e.g., characteristics of satellite 120-c, signal quality characteristics, characteristics of communications relayed by satellite 120-c, sensor measurements of environmental characteristics, communications measurements), or any combination thereof.

[0126] In some examples, receive array 540 and transmit array 550 may be configured for communication with ground segment terminals, although receive array 540 and transmit array 550 may additionally or alternatively be configured for communication with or via another satellite, such as another satellite 120 or another satellite 180. For example, to support GEO link aspects, satellite 120-c may support wireless communications by receiving signals 183 using receive array 240, or by transmitting signals 183 using transmit array 250, or both (e.g., via respective beams 125). In some examples, such techniques may be supported by aligning the positive z direction of satellite 120-c toward satellite 180 (e.g., for at least a portion of the orbital path of geosynchronous satellite 120-c).

[0127] 6 illustrates an example of a payload 600 supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. Payload 600 may be implemented on a satellite 120, such as satellite 120-c described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. For example, payload 600 may include a receiving system 605 (e.g., a receiving subsystem, a receiving antenna system), a transmitting system 615 (e.g., a transmitting subsystem, a transmitting antenna system), and a transponder system 610 (e.g., a transponder subsystem, a set of transponders, a set of signal paths, a set of beam signal paths) coupled to receiving system 605 and transmitting system 615. While receiving system 605, transponder system 610, and transmitting system 615 are illustrated, components may be distributed differently among other systems or subsystems in accordance with the described techniques.

[0128] Payload 600 may support relaying beam signals (e.g., signals associated with one or more beams 125) to or between terminals of ground segment 101 (e.g., between gateway terminal 130 and user terminal 150), to or between one or more other satellites (e.g., another satellite 120, satellite 180), or combinations thereof. For example, receive system 605 may include receive subsystem 607-a (e.g., uplink receive subsystem), which may include receive array 540-a and may include or otherwise be coupled to port 606 (e.g., ports 606-a and 606-b, output ports, uplink ports). Receive array 540-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive elements) located on a side of satellite 120, such as side 515. In some examples, receive subsystem 607-a may be configured for reception in a first frequency range (e.g., an uplink frequency range, 81-86 GHz). The receiving subsystem 607-a may be operable to acquire and output, via ports 606-a and 606-b, one or more beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, uplink beam signals, receive beam signals) based on component signals received via the antenna elements of the receiving array 540-a.

[0129] The receive system 605 may also include a receive subsystem 607-b (e.g., a crosslink receive subsystem), which may include the receive array 560-a and may include or otherwise be coupled to port 606-c (e.g., a crosslink port). The receive array 560-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive elements) located on a different side of the satellite 120, such as side 516 (e.g., an opposite or otherwise different side from the receive array 540-a), or on another side different from the receive array 540-a. Such a physical arrangement may reduce interference when receiving signals from different target devices along different directions. In some examples, the receive subsystem 607-b may be configured for reception in a second frequency range (e.g., a crosslink frequency range, 66-71 GHz, or another frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range). The receiving subsystem 607-b may be operable to acquire and output, via port 606-c, beam signals (e.g., signals of beam 125, crosslink beam signals, received beam signals) based on component signals received via the antenna elements of the receiving array 560-a.

[0130] The transmit system 615 may include a transmit array 550-a and a port 616 (e.g., an input port). In some examples, ports 616-a and 616-b may be downlink ports (e.g., one assigned to downlink transmissions, for forward beam signals and one assigned to downlink transmissions, for return beam signals), and port 616-c may be a crosslink port (e.g., assigned to crosslink transmissions, for crosslink transmit beam signals). In some examples, signals from ports 612-b and 612-c may be combined to travel along a single signal path of the transmit system 615 (e.g., provided to a single shared beamforming network 640-b). For example, the signal paths from ports 616-b and 616-c may be combined via coupler 621-d of the transmit system 615, if such a combination is considered to be included in the transmit system 615. In some other examples, such a combination may be considered to be included in a transponder system, in which case at least coupler 612-d may instead be included in transponder system 610, which may be considered to have two ports 612 (e.g., one corresponding to illustrated port 612-a and one corresponding to the illustrated combination of ports 612-b and 612-c). In these and other examples, transmission system 615 may be considered to include two ports 618 (e.g., two input ports, two beam signal ports), illustrated as ports 618-a and 618-b. In some examples, port 618-a may be a port dedicated to transmitting a downlink signal (e.g., a return downlink beam signal), and port 618-b may be a shared port operable to transmit a downlink beam signal (e.g., a forward downlink beam signal), or a crosslink beam signal (e.g., along the forward link or return link), or both.

[0131] The transmit array 550-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., transmit elements) located on a side of the satellite 120, such as side 515 (e.g., the same side as the antenna elements of the receive array 540-a). The transmit system 615 may be operable to acquire (e.g., via port 616, via port 618) and transmit beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, downlink beam signals, crosslink beam signals) based on the component signals transmitted via the antenna elements of the transmit array 550-a. In some examples, the transmit system 615 may be configured for transmission in a third frequency range (e.g., 66-76 GHz) or another frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range and includes the second frequency range. For example, the third frequency range may include a frequency range allocated to crosslink transmissions (e.g., 66-71 GHz) and another frequency range allocated to downlink transmissions (e.g., 71-76 GHz). Thus, the transmit array 550-a may be configured for a bandwidth (e.g., 10 GHz) larger than the bandwidth (e.g., 5 GHz) of the receive arrays 540-a and 560-a. Such ranges may be allocated to be contiguous (e.g., in a contiguous 10 GHz bandwidth), which may provide improved antenna characteristics compared to when such ranges are not contiguous (e.g., spanning a bandwidth greater than 10 GHz).

[0132] The transponder system 610 (e.g., a transponder subsystem, a set of transponders, a set of signal paths between the receiving system 605 and the transmitting system 615) may be coupled to a port 606 of the receiving system 605 and operable to receive one or more beam signals from the receiving system 605. For example, the transponder system 610 may include ports 611 (e.g., input ports 611-a and 611-b, which may be uplink ports, and port 611-c, which may be a crosslink port) operable to couple with each port 606 of the receiving system 605. In some other examples, each port 611 and 606 may be referred to as or equivalent to a common port or node. The transponder system 610 may also be coupled to a port 616 of the transmitting system 615 and operable to output one or more beam signals to the transmitting system 615. For example, the transponder system 610 may include ports 612 (e.g., output ports, port 612-a and port 612-b, which may be downlink ports, and port 612-c, which may be a crosslink port) operable to couple (e.g., in a one-to-one correspondence) with respective ports 616 of the transmitting system 615. In some other examples, each port 612 and 616 may be referred to as or equivalent to a common port or node. Thus, in various examples, the transponder system 610 may be considered to include three ports 611 (e.g., three inputs) coupled to respective ports 606 (e.g., three outputs) of the receiving system 605, and the transponder system 610 may be considered to include ports 612 (e.g., three outputs) coupled to respective ports 616 (e.g., three inputs) of the transmitting system 615, or ports coupled to respective ports 618 (e.g., two inputs) of the transmitting system 615. Thus, transponder system 610 may support various signal paths for coupling its port 612 with its port 611 and performing various intervening signal processing.

[0133] Payload 600 may be operable to support different modes (e.g., signaling mode, communication mode, relay mode, signal path mode, signal routing mode, beam signal mode) or combinations of modes for relaying beam signals. Among other operations of satellite 120 including payload 600, such modes may be controlled (e.g., configured, coordinated, initiated) at least in part by payload's control system 660, which may be coupled to at least receiving system 605, transponder system 610, and transmitting system 615 to configure one or more aspects of the respective components. For example, control system 660 may support, among other operations, managing beamforming networks (e.g., beamforming network 620, beamforming network 640), activating and deactivating signal paths of transponder system 610, managing satellite alignment (e.g., aligning satellite 120 toward a target, changing the orbital path of satellite 120). Control system 660 may include any quantity of one or more processors, which may include processors co-located within payload 600 or distributed throughout payload 600. Any one or more of such processors may be configured (e.g., individually, collectively, by software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof) to cause satellite 120 (e.g., payload 600) to perform various operations described herein.

[0134] In various modes, payload 600 may support relaying crosslink signals (e.g., signaling from or to another satellite 120 or 180), return link signals (e.g., signaling from one or more user terminals 150 to gateway terminal 130), or forward link signals (e.g., signaling from gateway terminal 130 to one or more user terminals 150), or combinations thereof, which may include relaying a crosslink signal (e.g., return uplink component signals as electromagnetic component signals of uplink signal 173, crosslink component signals as electromagnetic component signals of crosslink signal 175) via antenna elements of receive array 540-a, receive array 560-a, or both (e.g., receive antenna elements). In some examples, the component signals may be received by the antenna elements according to polarizations that may be allocated to particular types of communications. For example, a component signal associated with return link signaling may be associated with a first polarization (e.g., RHCP), a component signal associated with forward link signaling may correspond to a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization (e.g., LHCP), and a component signal associated with cross link signaling may correspond to the first polarization, the second polarization, or another polarization. In some examples, if a component signal is associated with return link signaling or forward link signaling, the component signal may be received (e.g., via receive array 540-a) in a first frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz), and if the component signal is associated with cross link signaling, the component signal may be received (e.g., via receive array 560-a) in a second frequency range (e.g., 66-71 GHz) or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range.

[0135] The antenna elements of the receive array 540-a may output respective first component signals (e.g., electrical component signals associated with a first polarization) to the beamforming network 620-a (e.g., via respective output ports) and, in some examples, may output respective second component signals (e.g., associated with a second polarization) to the beamforming network 620-b. In some examples, the beamforming network 620-a and the beamforming network 620-b may be referred to as a single beamforming network 620 of the receive subsystem 607-a configured to support directional reception of a single respective beam 125 of each of the different polarizations supported by the receive array 540-a. The antenna elements of the receive array 560-a may output respective component signals to the beamforming network 620-c. For at least some, if not all, of each antenna element, the beamforming network 620 may apply gain, phase adjustment, or time adjustment, or any combination thereof, to the component signals according to the beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of the receive beam 125 according to the receive beam weights configured by the control system 660) to generate a receive beam signal (e.g., a return link uplink beam signal, a forward link uplink beam signal, or a cross link beam signal) based on the component signals received from the antenna element.

[0136] Each beamforming network 620 may include an output 622 (e.g., a single output, output 622-a corresponding to outputting a return link uplink beam signal, output 622-b corresponding to outputting a forward link uplink beam signal, output 622-c corresponding to outputting a cross link beam signal) that may be configured to output a received beam signal to the transponder system 610 (e.g., via port 606-a, 606-b, or 606-c. In some examples, the output 622 may be configured to output the received beam signal in the same frequency range in which the component signals were received. In some examples, the output 622 may be supported by activating (e.g., by the control system 660) a respective amplifier 665 (e.g., amplifier 665-a, amplifier 665-b, amplifier 665-c).

[0137] Transponder system 610 may include various signal paths between ports 611 and 612. For example, transponder system 610 may include a first signal path between ports 611-b and 612-b (e.g., for forward uplink-downlink relay), a second signal path between ports 611-c and 612-b (e.g., for forward crosslink-downlink relay), a third signal path between ports 611-b and 612-c (e.g., for forward uplink-crosslink relay), a fourth signal path between ports 611-c and 612-c (e.g., for crosslink-crosslink relay), and a fourth signal path between ports 611-b and 612-c (e.g., for forward uplink-crosslink relay). ), a fifth signal path between port 611-a and port 612-c (e.g., for return uplink-crosslink relay), a sixth signal path between port 611-c and port 612-a (e.g., for return crosslink-downlink relay), and a seventh signal path between port 611-a and port 612-a (e.g., for return uplink-downlink relay), at least some of which may be supported simultaneously by transponder system 610 (e.g., for multi-directional relay).

[0138] In some examples, transponder system 610 may include one or more switching components 626 having inputs 627 (e.g., input ports) and outputs 628 (e.g., output ports), which may be operable to control (e.g., implement, configure based on configuring switching component 626 via control system 660) the coupling between various signal path components. For example, transponder system 610 may include switching component 626-a (e.g., a single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) switch) which may route signals from input 627-a to output 628-a-1 or output 628-a-2. Transponder system 610 may also include switching component 626-b (e.g., an SPDT switch) which may route signals from input 627-b to output 628-b-1 or output 628-b-2. For example, transponder system 610 may include a switching component 626-c (e.g., a double-pole, double-throw (DPDT) switch) that may route signals from input 627-c-1 or input 627-c-2 to output 628-c-1 or output 628-c-2. Transponder system 610 may also include a switching component 626-d (e.g., a single-pole, triple-throw (SP3T) switch) that may route signals from input 627-d to output 628-d-1, output 628-d-2, or output 628-d-3.

[0139] In some examples, transponder system 610 may include one or more couplers 621 (e.g., signal path junctions) that support passing at least a portion of one or more signals input to coupler 621 through an output of coupler 621 (e.g., providing coupling between components). For example, coupler 621-a may pass signals from output 628-d-1, signals from port 611-a, or both to frequency converter 625-a (e.g., an uplink-to-IF frequency converter). Coupler 621-b may pass signals from output 628-d-2, signals from port 611-b, or both to frequency converter 625-b (e.g., an uplink-to-IF frequency converter). Coupler 621-c may pass signals from output 628-a-2, signals from output 628-b-2, or both to frequency converter 636 (e.g., an IF-to-crosslink frequency converter). Coupler 621-d may pass the signal from output 628-d-3, or the signal from frequency converter 636, or both, to port 612-c (e.g., to beamforming network 640-b via input 642-b). Coupler 621 may include one or more switches (e.g., operable using control system 660) to support relaying signals, adding (e.g., summing) signals, or both, among other examples. In some examples, a signal from a single component coupled to coupler 621 may be passed by coupler 621, which may be the result of one or more other components coupled to coupler 621 being disabled (e.g., deactivated, de-energized).

[0140] Each signal path of the transponder system 610 may be coupled to one of the outputs 622 (e.g., directly or via an amplifier 665, if applicable) and may be operable to receive a received beam signal from the beamforming network 620 (e.g., via port 611). In some implementations, the transponder system 610 may include one or more frequency converters between the ports 611 and 612. For example, the transponder system 610 may downconvert a received beam signal (e.g., an uplink beam signal from the receive subsystem 607-a) from a first frequency range (e.g., an uplink frequency range, 81-86 GHz) to an IF range to receive the received beam signal and generate an IF signal using a frequency converter 625 (e.g., a downconverter, frequency converter 625-a, frequency converter 625-b) that converts the frequency of the IF signal to the IF frequency range. In some examples, the IF frequency range may be 11-16 GHz or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range. In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, the frequency converter 625 may receive an oscillator signal having a first oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 70 GHz, 81-86 GHz range to a 11-16 GHz range) from a frequency generator 630 or the like (e.g., from switching component 626-c, from input 627-c-2) and may output an IF signal having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the received beam signal and the first oscillator frequency.

[0141] Additionally or alternatively, transponder system 610 may downconvert a received beam signal (e.g., a crosslink beam signal from receive subsystem 607-b) from a second frequency range (e.g., a crosslink frequency range, 66-71 GHz) to an IF frequency range to receive the second received beam signal and generate an IF signal using a frequency converter 625 that converts the frequency of the second IF signal to the IF frequency range. In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, frequency converter 625 may receive an oscillator signal (e.g., from switching component 626-c, from input 627-c-1) having a second oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 55 GHz, 66-71 GHz range to an 11-16 GHz range) from frequency generator 630 or the like, and output a second IF signal having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the second received beam signal and the second oscillator frequency.

[0142] In some examples, payload 600 may be considered a processed payload and may include circuitry for processing techniques such as analog-to-digital conversion, sampling, demodulation, signal extraction, demultiplexing, channelization, multiplexing, signal insertion, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, and other processing techniques. In some such examples, such processing techniques may be implemented on the IF signal between frequency converter 625 and frequency converters 636 and 655. Payload processing may include processing in the analog domain, processing in the digital domain, or both. In some other examples, the payload may be considered a non-processed payload (e.g., in a bent-pipe payload configuration), and the IF signal may be forwarded through transponder system 610 without such processing techniques.

[0143] Along various signal paths, the transponder system 610 may also upconvert the IF signal from the IF frequency range to another frequency range, such as a downlink frequency range, to generate a downlink beam signal (e.g., a return link downlink beam signal, a forward link downlink beam signal), or upconvert it to a crosslink frequency range to generate a crosslink beam signal. For example, the transponder system 610 may include frequency converters 635 (e.g., upconverters, frequency converters 635-a and 635-b) that receive the IF signal and convert the frequency of the downlink beam signal to a fourth frequency range (e.g., a downlink frequency range). In some examples, the fourth frequency range may be 71-76 GHz or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range, the second frequency range, the IF frequency range, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the first frequency range and the fourth frequency range may not overlap, which may support aspects of the receiving system 605 and the transmitting system 615 (e.g., antenna elements, signal processing hardware) configured according to different operating frequencies and avoid crosstalk between the transmitting system 615 and the receiving system 605. In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, the frequency converter 635 may receive an oscillator signal having a third oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from 60 GHz, an 11-16 GHz range, to a 71-76 GHz range), such as from the frequency generator 630 (e.g., from oscillator 680-a), and may output a downlink beam signal (e.g., via port 612-a or 612-b) having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the frequency of the IF signal and the third oscillator frequency.

[0144] Transponder system 610 may also include a frequency converter 636 that receives an IF signal (e.g., from switching component 626-a or 626-b) and converts the frequency of the crosslink beam signal to a second frequency range (e.g., the 66-71 GHz range). In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, frequency converter 636 may receive a second oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 55 GHz, 11-16 GHz range to the 66-71 GHz range), such as from frequency generator 630, and output a crosslink beam signal having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the frequency of the IF signal and the second oscillator frequency.

[0145] The transponder system 610 (e.g., frequency converter 635, frequency converter 636) may output one or more (e.g., one or two) downlink beam signals, or crosslink beam signals, or both to a transmit system 615 (e.g., via one or more ports 612, via one or more ports 616, via one or two ports 618), such as to a beamforming network 640 (e.g., beamforming network 640-a, beamforming network 640-b, transmit beamformer), etc. Each beamforming network 640 may include an input 642 (e.g., input 642-a, input 642-b, single input), which may be configured to receive a beam signal (via a respective port 618) from the transponder system 610. In some examples, beamforming network 640-a and beamforming network 640-b may be referred to as a single beamforming network 640 of transmit system 615 configured to support directional reception of a single respective beam 125 of each of the different polarizations supported by transmit array 550-a.

[0146] In some examples, the input 642 may be configured to receive downlink beam signals, crosslink beam signals, or both in the same frequency range in which the component signals are transmitted. In some examples, the input 642 may be supported by activating an associated amplifier 670. For at least some, if not all, of the antenna elements of the transmit array 550-a, the beamforming network 640 may apply respective gains, respective phase adjustments, or respective time adjustments, or any combination thereof, to the beam signals to generate component signals (e.g., return link component signals, forward link component signals, crosstalk component signals) for the antenna elements. Such component signals may be provided to the antenna elements (e.g., to respective first input ports of the antenna elements) so that the transmit array 550-a can transmit downlink beam signals, crosslink beam signals, or combinations thereof according to a beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of the transmit beam 125 according to the transmit beam weights configured by the control system 660).

[0147] The frequency generator 630 may be implemented in various configurations to support the frequency converters 625, 635, and 636 (e.g., to output oscillator signals at one or more frequencies). For example, the frequency generator 630 may output one or more oscillator signals using one or more oscillators 680 (e.g., oscillator circuits), or a combination of one or more oscillators 680 and one or more frequency converters 675, among other configurations. In the example payload 600, the frequency generator 630 may be configured to generate oscillator signals at three frequencies (e.g., 70 GHz, 60 GHz, and 55 GHz) using two oscillators 680 (e.g., 60 GHz and 5 GHz). For example, oscillator 680-a may be configured to generate and output (e.g., to frequency converter 635-a, frequency converter 635-b, frequency converter 675-a, and frequency converter 675-b) an oscillator signal having a third oscillator frequency (e.g., 60 GHz). Oscillator 680-b may be configured to generate and output (e.g., to frequency multipliers such as 681, to frequency converter 675-a) an oscillator signal having a fourth frequency (e.g., 5 GHz). In some other examples, frequency generator 630 may include three oscillators 680 that generate oscillator signals at respective frequencies of frequency converters 625, 635, and 636 (e.g., 70 GHz, 60 GHz, 55 GHz).

[0148] Oscillator 680-b may be used by frequency generator 630 to generate oscillator signals having other frequencies. For example, frequency generator 630 may include frequency converter 675-a, which may generate and output (e.g., to switching component 626-c) an oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency equal to the difference in frequency between oscillator 680-a and oscillator 680-b (e.g., 55 GHz, the difference between the third oscillator frequency and the fourth oscillator frequency, the difference between 60 GHz and 5 GHz). The frequency generator 630 may also include a frequency converter 675-b, which may generate and output (e.g., to switching component 626-c) an oscillator signal having a first oscillator frequency equal to the sum of the frequency of oscillator 680-a and a multiple of oscillator 680-b (e.g., 70 GHz, the sum of the third oscillator frequency and twice the fourth oscillator frequency, or the sum of 60 GHz and 2×5 GHz). More generally, the frequency generator 630 may be operable to generate any number of oscillator signals having frequencies equal to the first oscillator frequency plus or minus an integer multiple of the second oscillator frequency. The multiplication of the fourth oscillator frequency may be provided by a multiplier 681 (e.g., a 2× multiplier). However, other configurations of frequency generator 630 may be implemented in accordance with the described techniques, such as including a separate oscillator 680 for each oscillator frequency used by frequency converter 625, 635, or 636 (e.g., omitting frequency converter 675 and multiplier 681), among other implementations.

[0149] Payload 600 may implement a positioning and steering system 685 that may manage operations related to modifying orbital characteristics of satellite 120, including payload 600, such as modifying the orbital path of satellite 120 (e.g., velocity along the orbital path, altitude of the orbital path, course of the orbital path) or the orientation of satellite 120 (e.g., to steer satellite 120 along the orbital path, to orient axis 545 of receive array 540-a, to orient axis 555 of transmit array 550-a, to orient axis 565 of receive array 560-a, to orient side 515 of satellite 120, to orient side 516 of satellite 120, or combinations thereof). For example, positioning and steering system 685 may include thrusters 586, which may be operated at least in part by control system 660 to modify the orbital path of satellite 120. Additionally or alternatively, positioning and steering system 685 may include an angular momentum system, such as a reaction wheel, a CMG, or both. Control system 660 may implement the angular momentum system (e.g., to steer satellite 120 by converting between angular momentum and electrical energy) to adjust the orientation of satellite 120, for example, to support improved communication of beam signals.

[0150] In some cases, payload 600 may receive power from satellite 120 (e.g., from solar elements 530), for example, using power system 608 (e.g., a DC power converter). In some cases, power system 608 may include or be coupled to a power storage system, such as an on-board battery. Power system 608 may extract power from the battery to power aspects of payload 600, transfer power to the battery, or both. Additionally or alternatively, power system 608 may be coupled to positioning and steering system 685. For example, power system 608 may extract power from an angular momentum system, transfer power to an angular momentum system, or both (e.g., impose angular acceleration or deceleration on satellite 120).

[0151] In some cases, the control system 660 may operate according to signaling received by the satellite 120. Such signaling may be associated with a frequency range (e.g., 13.5 GHz) centered within the IF frequency range. For example, the payload 600 may include an operation command receiver 662 that may decode commands (e.g., command messages) received by the receiving system 605. In some examples, the operation command receiver 662 may decode messages (e.g., commands from the gateway terminal 130) included in the forward uplink beam signal. For example, the second signal path may include a coupler (not shown) that supports relaying at least a portion of the IF signal to both the frequency converter 635-b and the operation command receiver 662. The coupler may include one or more switches (e.g., operable using the control system 660) to support relaying the IF signal to the operation command receiver 662, may support signal addition (e.g., summing), or both, among other examples. In some cases, the operational command receiver 662 may receive a schedule including information such as beam weights (e.g., array beam pointing information for the beamforming networks 620 and 640), instructions for body steering operations, beam hopping information, or the like, which may be provided to the control system 660.

[0152] Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-a may use a data link transmitter 667 (e.g., a command transmitter) to transmit signaling to indicate the status of satellite 120. Such signaling may also be associated with a frequency range (e.g., 13.5 GHz) centered around the IF frequency range. For example, data link transmitter 667 may generate a beacon that includes information such as telemetry, satellite 120 health status, payload status (e.g., the status of payload 600), or other information. Data link transmitter 667 may transmit the generated beacon signal to a coupler (not shown), which may add the beacon signal to a downlink beam signal. For example, the coupler may include one or more switches or other circuitry that supports summing the IF signal and the beacon signal.

[0153] Thus, payload 600 illustrates an example for supporting communications with receive system 605, transponder system 610, and transmit system 615, each having specific ports assigned to a particular type of communication, and thus a particular type of signaling characteristic. For example, receive system 605 (e.g., its subsystem 607) may be configured for an uplink frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz) and a crosslink frequency range (e.g., 66-71 GHz), and transmit system 615 may be configured for a downlink frequency range (e.g., 71-76 GHz) and a crosslink frequency range (e.g., as a combined range of 66-76 GHz using a common transmit array 550-a). Orthogonality for different ports between forward, return, and crosslink communications in receive system 605 and transmit system 615 may be provided by orthogonal polarizations, such as assigning an RHCP to return communications and an LHCP to forward and crosslink communications. In some examples, transponder system 610 may thus include a single signal path for forward communications between receiving system 605 and transmitting system 615 that includes a net frequency conversion from the uplink frequency range to the downlink frequency range and maintains the forward link polarization, and a single signal path for return communications between receiving system 605 and transmitting system 615 that includes a net frequency conversion from the uplink frequency range to the downlink frequency range and maintains the return link polarization association. Payload 600 also illustrates examples for implementing a single input for obtaining crosslink beam signals (e.g., port 660-c, port 611-c for crosslink receive) and a single output for outputting crosslink beam signals (e.g., port 612-c, port 616-c for crosslink transmit), and mapping of such inputs and outputs for various relays and associated signal characteristic conversions between uplink, downlink, and crosslink signaling.Such a configuration may provide an efficient means for unidirectional or multidirectional forward and return signal relaying in a satellite 120 (e.g., satellite 120-c) containing payload 600, including such relaying that may involve crosslink signaling with another satellite 120 or satellite 180.

[0154] In some examples, the gains of the forward link transponder (e.g., between output 622-a and input 642-a), return link transponder (e.g., between output 622-b and input 642-b), and cross link transponder (e.g., between output 622-c and input 642-c) of payload 600 may be different and may be configured based on their respective signaling characteristics. For example, amplifier 665-a may be configured with a gain based on the transmit power of antenna assembly 151, amplifier 665-b may have a gain based on the transmit power of gateway antenna system 131, and amplifier 665-c may have a gain based on the transmit power of satellite 120 or satellite 180. Further, amplifier 670-a may be configured with a gain based on the receive sensitivity of gateway antenna system 131, amplifier 670-b may have a gain based on the receive sensitivity of antenna assembly 151, and amplifier 670-c may have a gain based on the receive sensitivity of satellite 120 or satellite 180. In some examples, such gains may be biased to favor a particular type of communication over another. For example, a forward link transponder may be configured with a relatively higher or lower gain (e.g., within the given power constraints of satellite 120, including payload 300), among other examples, than the gain of a return link transponder. While amplifier 665 is illustrated as a component of receive system 605 and amplifier 670 is illustrated as a component of transmit system 615, in some other examples, amplifier 665, amplifier 670, or both may be considered components of transponder system 610 or otherwise support configuration of the net gain of a given signal path of payload 600 for a particular type of communication with a particular type of device.

[0155] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the scan angle configurations between beamforming network 620 and beamforming network 640 may differ, such as between any combination of uplink, downlink, or crosslink communications, between forward and return communications, or between combinations thereof, or other differences for various aspects of link balancing or biasing. For example, payload 600 may be configured to relay signaling to gateway terminal 130 within a relatively smaller portion of its service area than for relaying signaling to user terminal 150, which may be associated with reduced scan loss when communicating signaling with gateway terminal 130. In such examples, beamforming network 620-a, beamforming network 640-b, or both may be configured according to a first scan angle range, and beamforming network 620-b, beamforming network 640-a, or both may be configured according to a second scan angle range that is greater than the first scan angle range. In some examples, the scan angles for beamforming network 620-c (e.g., for crosslink reception) may be configured independently from beamforming networks 620-a, 620-b, 640-a, and 640-b.

[0156] In some such examples, communications system 100 may thus be configured such that axis 545, axis 555, or both, of satellite 120 including payload 600 may be aligned closer to gateway terminal 130 than to user terminal 150 served by gateway terminal 130. In some examples, to support communication of a coverage area via gateway terminal 130, satellite 120 including payload 600 may be configured to orient its positive z-axis toward a location of the coverage area that is within a first range of angular separation from the direction of gateway terminal 130. In such an orientation, satellite 120 may support communication with one or more user terminals 150 each located along a respective other direction that is within a second range of angular separation from the positive z-axis, where the second range of angular separation may be greater than the first range of angular separation.

[0157] 7A-7G illustrate example payload implementations 700 supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. Each of the payload implementations 700 may be supported by a satellite 120-d including an example payload 600 (e.g., with some components omitted for illustrative clarity). The payload 600 may support one or more modes of operation for the satellite 120-d to relay communications between a gateway antenna system 131 (e.g., an included gateway terminal 130) and an antenna assembly 151 (e.g., an antenna assembly of a user terminal 150), which may include cross-link relaying via one or more other satellites 120 or 180, among other devices. To support such modes of operation, the payload 600 may support one or more configurations (e.g., one or more signal path configurations, one or more relay configurations) supporting return link signaling, forward link signaling, or a combination thereof. For example, payload 600 may be configured to support signal paths 705, such that each of signal paths 705 includes one of path 730 (e.g., a single forward path), path 735 (e.g., a single return path), or path 740 (e.g., a single cross-link path), and some of signal paths 705 also include path 745 (e.g., a travel path).

[0158] To support such various configurations or combinations thereof, satellite 120-d may also be configured to orient itself (e.g., using positioning and steering system 685, using control system 660, body steer) along various directions to support signal relay capabilities of payload 600 (e.g., throughout the duration that satellite 120-d traverses a portion of orbital path 720 while one or more signal paths 705 are activated). For example, satellite 120-d may be configured to steer direction 715 from satellite 120-d, where direction 715 may correspond to an outward direction from side 515, a positive z direction of satellite 120-d, axis 545, axis 555, or a combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-d may be configured to steer direction 716 from satellite 120-d, where direction 716 may correspond to an outward direction from side 516, a negative z direction of satellite 120-d, axis 565, or a combination thereof.

[0159] In some examples, satellite 120-d may be aligned in a nadir-down orientation such that positioning and steering system 685 is configured to orient direction 715 toward the center of the Earth or other angles relative to the Earth as it traverses along orbital path 720. In some other examples, positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to orient direction 715 toward target 710 as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720 (e.g., steering direction 715 toward target 710 as satellite 120-d traverses portions of orbital path 720 between locations 725). In some examples, target 710 may be a fixed location (e.g., a terrestrial location, a location within a service area associated with a set of one or more user terminals 150, a location within a service area associated with a set of one or more gateway terminals 130), among other examples, and satellite 120-d may steer direction 715 toward target 710 continuously or discontinuously (e.g., according to multiple discrete steering impulses) between locations 725 of orbital path 720. In some other examples, the control system 660 may be configured to orient the satellite 120-d (e.g., direction 715, direction 716, or a combination thereof) toward one or more target devices, which may be based on one or more of the payload implementations 700 configured on the satellite 120-d at a given time.

[0160] Satellite 120-d may be configured to perform such operations by various means. For example, satellite 120-d may determine such configuration based on information stored on satellite 120-d, such as information regarding communication allocations, terminal locations, characteristics of orbital path 720, information regarding target 710, and other information. In some examples, satellite 120-d may be configured by one or more controllers of ground segment 101, which may include signaling any one or more aspects of the above information from the ground segment to satellite 120-d (e.g., via uplink signal 132, signal 181, signal 183, signal 173, signal 175, or a combination thereof, a signal from gateway terminal 130 received along an earlier point on orbital path 720, which may be relayed via another satellite 120 or satellite 180). For example, network device 141 or gateway terminal 130 (e.g., a network controller) may determine various aspects of the configuration of satellite 120-d to support one or more configurations for relaying signaling (e.g., forward signaling or return signaling, which may include crosslinks) and may configure satellite 120-d by signaling to satellite 120-d.

[0161] FIG. 7A shows an example of a payload implementation 700-a that supports a first configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a forward uplink-downlink relay configuration), which may include relaying signaling from gateway antenna system 131-b to antenna assembly 151-b.

[0162] In a first configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-a) may be configured to receive an uplink signal 132-b (e.g., a receive beam signal, a forward uplink signal, an uplink frequency range, and a forward link polarization) from the gateway antenna system 131-b according to a beam 125-d-1 (e.g., a receive beam). The beam 125-d-1 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 620-b, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-b, align directional reception along the beam direction 127-d-1, and generate the beam 125-d-1 according to a scan angle θ1 relative to the direction 715).

[0163] To support the first configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-a (e.g., including path 730) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-b with port 612-b to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 620-b or beamforming network 640-b, activating amplifier 665-b or amplifier 670-b, activating ports 606-b, 611-b, 612-b, 616-b, 618-b or connections therebetween, activating path 730, activating frequency converter 625-b or 635-b, configuring switching component 626-b to couple input 627-b with output 628-b-1, configuring switching component 626-c to couple input 627-c-2 with output 628-c-2, or any combination thereof, among other activations. Thus, signal path 705-a may implement frequency translation of frequency converters 625-b and 635-b (e.g., to convert from an uplink frequency range to an IF range and from the IF range to a downlink frequency range).

[0164] In the first configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit a downlink signal 172-b (e.g., according to a transmit beam signal, a forward downlink signal, a downlink frequency range, and a forward link polarization) to the antenna assembly 151-b based at least in part on the uplink signal 132-b (e.g., including information of the uplink signal 132-b and being a relay of the uplink signal 132-b). The transmission system 615 may transmit the downlink signal 172-b according to a beam 125-d-2 (e.g., a transmit beam). The beam 125-d-2 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 640-b, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 640-b, align directional transmissions along the beam direction 127-d-2, and generate the beam 125-d-2 according to the scan angle θ2).

[0165] In some implementations, the first configuration may be supported by steering the direction 715 toward the target 710-a (e.g., throughout the duration that the satellite 120-d traverses between locations 725-a-1 and 725-a-2). In some implementations, steering the satellite 120-d to support the first configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the location of the gateway antenna system 131-b and the location of the antenna assembly 151-b (e.g., in combination with the location of the satellite 120-d). For example, the positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer the satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of the direction 715 relative to the location of the gateway antenna system 131-b and the location of the antenna assembly 151-b. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller of ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 540-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of a target device (e.g., antenna assembly 151-b, gateway antenna system 131-b), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be continuously calculated to be between (e.g., bisect) the angle between beam direction 127-d-1 and beam direction 127-d-2 as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-a, which may relax the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0166] FIG. 7B shows an example payload implementation 700-b that supports a second configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a forward crosslink-downlink relay configuration), which may include relaying signaling from satellite 120-e (e.g., in geostationary orbit or traversing along NGSO) to antenna assembly 151-b.

[0167] In a second configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-b) may be configured to receive a crosslink signal 175-c (e.g., a forward crosslink signal, in accordance with a crosslink frequency range, and in accordance with a crosslink polarization) from the satellite 120-e according to a beam 125-e-1. The beam 125-e-1 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 620-c, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-c to align directional reception along the beam direction 127-e-1 and generate the beam 125-e-1 according to a scan angle θ1 relative to the direction 716).

[0168] To support the second configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-b (e.g., including paths 745-a and 730) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-c with port 612-b to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, among other activations, activating beamforming network 620-c or beamforming network 640-b, activating amplifier 665-c or amplifier 670-b, activating ports 606-c, 611-c, 612-b, 616-b, 618-b or connections therebetween, activating paths 745-a and 730, activating frequency converter 625-b or 635-b, configuring switching component 626-b to couple input 627-b and output 628-b-1, configuring switching component 626-c to couple input 627-c-1 and output 628-c-2, or any combination thereof. Thus, signal path 705-b may implement the frequency translation of frequency converters 625-b and 635-b (e.g., to translate from the crosslink frequency range to the IF range and from the IF range to the downlink frequency range).

[0169] In the second configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit downlink signal 172-c (e.g., according to a forward downlink signal, a downlink frequency range, and according to a forward link polarization) to antenna assembly 151-b based at least in part on crosslink signal 175-c. The transmission system 615 may transmit downlink signal 172-c according to beam 125-e-2. Beam 125-e-2 may be formed, for example, using beamforming network 640-b, which may be configured by control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in beamforming network 640-b to align directional transmissions along beam direction 127-e-2 and generate beam 125-e-2 according to scan angle θ2 relative to direction 715).

[0170] In some implementations, the second configuration may be supported by steering direction 715 toward target 710-b (e.g., throughout the duration that satellite 120-d traverses between points 725-b-1 and 725-b-2). In some implementations, steering satellite 120-d to support the second configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the location of satellite 120-e and the location of antenna assembly 151-b (e.g., in combination with the location of satellite 120-d). For example, positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of direction 716 relative to the location of satellite 120-e and the orientation of direction 715 relative to the location of antenna assembly 151-b. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller in ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 560-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of the target device (e.g., satellite 120-e, antenna assembly 151-b), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the orientation of directions 715 and 716 may be calculated continuously as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-b, which may mitigate the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0171] FIG. 7C shows an example payload implementation 700-c supporting a third configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a forward uplink-crosslink relay configuration), which may include relaying signaling from gateway antenna system 131-b to satellite 120-e (e.g., in geostationary orbit or traversing along NGSO).

[0172] In a third configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-a) may be configured to receive an uplink signal 132-b (e.g., a forward uplink signal, in accordance with an uplink frequency range, and in accordance with a forward link polarization) from the gateway antenna system 131-b according to beam 125-f-1. Beam 125-f-1 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 620-b, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-b to align directional reception along beam direction 127-f-1 and generate beam 125-f-1 according to a scan angle θ1 relative to direction 715).

[0173] To support the third configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-c (e.g., including paths 745-b and 740) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-b with port 612-c to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 620-b or beamforming network 640-b, activating amplifier 665-b or amplifier 670-b, activating ports 606-b, 611-b, 612-c, 616-c, 618-b or connections therebetween, activating paths 745-b and 740, activating frequency converter 625-b or 636, configuring switching component 626-b to couple input 627-b and output 628-b-2, configuring switching component 626-c to couple input 627-c-2 and output 628-c-2, or any combination thereof, among other activations. Thus, signal path 705-c may implement frequency translation of frequency converters 625-b and 636 (e.g., to convert from an uplink frequency range to an IF range and from the IF range to a crosslink frequency range).

[0174] In the third configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit a crosslink signal 175-d (e.g., a forward crosslink signal, in accordance with a crosslink frequency range, and in accordance with a crosslink polarization) to the satellite 120-e based at least in part on the uplink signal 132-d. The transmission system 615 may transmit the crosslink signal 175-d in accordance with the beam 125-f-2. The beam 125-f-2 may be formed, for example, using the beamforming network 640-b, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 640-b, align directional transmissions along the beam direction 127-f-2, and generate the beam 125-f-2 in accordance with the scan angle θ2 relative to the direction 715).

[0175] In some implementations, the third configuration may be supported by steering the direction 715 toward the target 710-c (e.g., throughout the duration that the satellite 120-d traverses between points 725-c-1 and 725-c-2). In some implementations, steering the satellite 120-d to support the third configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the location of the gateway antenna system 131-b and the location of the satellite 120-e (e.g., in combination with the location of the satellite 120-d). For example, the positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer the satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of the direction 715 relative to the location of the gateway antenna system 131-b and the location of the satellite 120-e. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller in ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 540-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of the target device (e.g., gateway antenna system 131-b, satellite 120-e), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be continuously calculated to be between (e.g., bisect) the angle between beam direction 127-d-1 and beam direction 127-d-2 as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-c, which may relax the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0176] FIG. 7D shows an example payload implementation 700-d that supports a fourth configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a crosslink-crosslink relay configuration for forward or return relay), which may include relaying signaling from satellite 120-e-1 to satellite 120-e-2 (e.g., each in geostationary orbit or traversing along NGSO).

[0177] In the fourth configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-b) may be configured to receive a crosslink signal 175-e-1 (e.g., a forward receive crosslink signal or a return receive crosslink signal, according to a crosslink frequency range, and according to a crosslink polarization) from the satellite 120-e-1 according to a beam 125-g-1. The beam 125-g-1 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 620-c, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-c to align directional reception along the beam direction 127-g-1 and generate the beam 125-g-1 according to a scan angle θ1 relative to the direction 716).

[0178] To support the fourth configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-d (e.g., including path 740) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-c with port 612-c to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 620-c or beamforming network 640-b, activating amplifier 665-c or amplifier 670-c, activating ports 606-c, 611-c, 612-c, 616-c, 618-b or a connection therebetween, activating path 740, or any combination thereof, among other activations. Thus, signal path 705-d may be implemented without frequency conversion (e.g., maintaining signaling within the crosslink frequency range).

[0179] In the fourth configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit a crosslink signal 175-e-2 (e.g., a forward transmit crosslink signal, a return crosslink transmit signal, according to a crosslink frequency range, and according to a crosslink polarization) to the satellite 120-e-2 based at least in part on the crosslink signal 175-e-1. The transmission system 615 may transmit the crosslink signal 175-e-2 according to a beam 125-g-2. The beam 125-g-2 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 640-b, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 640-b, align directional transmissions along the beam direction 127-g-2, and generate the beam 125-g-2 according to a scan angle θ2 relative to the direction 715).

[0180] In some implementations, the fourth configuration may be supported by steering the direction 715 toward the target 710-d (e.g., throughout the duration that the satellite 120-d traverses between points 725-d-1 and 725-d-2). In some implementations, steering the satellite 120-d to support the fourth configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the locations of the satellites 120-e-1 and 120-e-2 (e.g., in combination with the location of the satellite 120-d). For example, the positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer the satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of the direction 716 relative to the location of the satellite 120-e-1 and the orientation of the direction 715 relative to the location of the satellite 120-e-2. In some examples, the orientations of directions 715 and 716 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller in ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 560-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of target devices (e.g., satellites 120-e-1 and 120-e-2). In some examples, the orientations of directions 715 and 716 may be calculated continuously as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-d, which may reduce the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or to otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0181] FIG. 7E shows an example payload implementation 700-e supporting a fifth configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a return uplink-crosslink relay configuration), which may include relaying signaling from antenna assembly 151-b to satellite 120-e (e.g., in geostationary orbit or traversing along NGSO).

[0182] In the fifth configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-a) may be configured to receive the uplink signal 173-f (e.g., a return uplink signal, according to an uplink frequency range, and according to a return polarization) from the antenna assembly 151-b according to the beam 125-h-1. The beam 125-h-1 may be formed, for example, using the beamforming network 620-a, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-a to align directional reception along the beam direction 127-h-1 and generate the beam 125-h-1 according to the scan angle θ1 relative to the direction 715).

[0183] To support the fifth configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-e (e.g., including paths 745-c and 740) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-a with port 612-c to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 620-a or beamforming network 640-b, activating amplifier 665-a or amplifier 670-c, activating ports 606-a, 611-a, 612-c, 616-c, 618-b or connections therebetween, activating paths 745-c and 740, activating frequency converter 625-a or 636, configuring switching component 626-a to couple input 627-a and output 628-a-2, configuring switching component 626-c to couple input 627-c-2 and output 628-c-1, or any combination thereof, among other activations. Thus, signal path 705-e may implement frequency translation of frequency converters 625-a and 636 (e.g., to convert from an uplink frequency range to an IF range and from the IF range to a crosslink frequency range).

[0184] In the fifth configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit a crosslink signal 175-f (e.g., a return crosslink signal, in accordance with a crosslink frequency range, and in accordance with a crosslink polarization) to the satellite 120-e based at least in part on the uplink signal 173-f. The transmission system 615 may transmit the crosslink signal 175-f in accordance with the beam 125-h-2. The beam 125-h-2 may be formed, for example, using the beamforming network 640-b, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 640-b to align directional transmissions along the beam direction 127-h-2 and generate the beam 125-h-2 in accordance with the scan angle θ2 relative to the direction 715).

[0185] In some implementations, the fifth configuration may be supported by steering direction 715 toward target 710-e (e.g., throughout the duration that satellite 120-d traverses between points 725-e-1 and 725-e-2). In some implementations, steering satellite 120-d to support the fifth configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the location of antenna assembly 151-b and the location of satellite 120-e (e.g., in combination with the location of satellite 120-d). For example, positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of direction 715 relative to the location of antenna assembly 151-b and the location of satellite 120-e. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller in ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 540-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of the target device (e.g., antenna assembly 151-b, satellite 120-e), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be continuously calculated to be between (e.g., bisect) the angle between beam direction 127-h-1 and beam direction 127-h-2 as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-e, which may relax the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0186] FIG. 7F shows an example payload implementation 700-f supporting a sixth configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a return crosslink-downlink relay configuration), which may include relaying signaling from satellite 120-e (e.g., in geostationary orbit or traversing along NGSO) to gateway antenna system 131-b.

[0187] In the sixth configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-b) may be configured to receive a crosslink signal 175-g (e.g., a return crosslink signal, according to a crosslink frequency range, and according to a crosslink polarization) from the satellite 120-e according to a beam 125-i-1. The beam 125-i-1 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 620-c, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-c to align directional reception along the beam direction 127-i-1 and generate the beam 125-i-1 according to a scan angle θ1 relative to the direction 716).

[0188] To support the sixth configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-f (e.g., including paths 745-d and 735) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-c with port 612-a to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, among other activations, activating beamforming network 620-c or beamforming network 640-a, activating amplifier 665-c or amplifier 670-a, activating ports 606-c, 611-c, 612-a, 616-a, 618-a or connections therebetween, activating paths 745-d and 735, activating frequency converter 625-a or 635-a, configuring switching component 626-a to couple input 627-a and output 628-a-1, configuring switching component 626-c to couple input 627-c-1 and output 628-c-1, or any combination thereof. Thus, signal path 705-f may implement the frequency translation of frequency converters 625-b and 635-b (e.g., to translate from the crosslink frequency range to the IF range and from the IF range to the downlink frequency range).

[0189] In the sixth configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit downlink signal 133-g (e.g., a return downlink signal, in accordance with a downlink frequency range, and in accordance with a return link polarization) to the gateway antenna system 131-b based at least in part on the crosslink signal 175-g. The transmission system 615 may transmit downlink signal 133-g in accordance with beam 125-i-2. Beam 125-i-2 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 640-a, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 640-a to align directional transmissions along beam direction 127-i-2 and generate beam 125-i-2 in accordance with scan angle θ2 relative to direction 715).

[0190] In some implementations, the sixth configuration may be supported by steering direction 715 toward target 710-f (e.g., throughout the duration that satellite 120-d traverses between points 725-f-1 and 725-f-2). In some implementations, steering satellite 120-d to support the sixth configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the location of satellite 120-e and the location of gateway antenna system 131-b (e.g., in combination with the location of satellite 120-d). For example, positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of direction 716 relative to the location of satellite 120-e and the orientation of direction 715 relative to the location of gateway antenna system 131-b. In some examples, the orientation of directions 715 and 716 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller in ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 560-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of a target device (e.g., satellite 120-e, gateway antenna system 131-b), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the orientation of directions 715 and 716 may be calculated continuously as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-f, which may mitigate the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0191] FIG. 7G shows an example of a payload implementation 700-g that supports a seventh configuration of payload 600 (e.g., a return uplink-downlink relay configuration), which may include relaying signaling from antenna assembly 151-b to gateway antenna system 131-b.

[0192] In the seventh configuration, the receiving system 605 (e.g., the receiving subsystem 607-a) may be configured to receive an uplink signal 173-h (e.g., a return uplink signal, according to an uplink frequency range, and according to a return link polarization) from the antenna assembly 151-b according to a beam 125-j-1. The beam 125-j-1 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 620-a, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement receive beam weights in the beamforming network 620-a to align directional reception along the beam direction 127-j-1 and generate the beam 125-j-1 according to a scan angle θ1 relative to the direction 715).

[0193] To support the seventh configuration, the control system 660 may also be configured to activate (e.g., enable, configure) signal path 705-g (e.g., including path 735) of the transponder system 610, which couples port 611-a with port 612-a to route the beam signal from the receiving system 605 to the transmitting system 615. Such activation may include, for example, activating beamforming network 620-a or beamforming network 640-a, activating amplifier 665-a or amplifier 670-a, activating ports 606-a, 611-a, 612-a, 616-a, 618-a or connections therebetween, activating path 735, activating frequency converter 625-a or 635-a, configuring switching component 626-a to couple input 627-a and output 628-a-1, configuring switching component 626-c to couple input 627-c-2 and output 628-c-1, or any combination thereof, among other activations. Thus, signal path 705-g may implement frequency translation of frequency converters 625-a and 635-a (e.g., to convert from an uplink frequency range to an IF range and from the IF range to a downlink frequency range).

[0194] In the seventh configuration, the transmission system 615 may therefore transmit a downlink signal 133-h (e.g., a return downlink signal, according to a downlink frequency range, and according to a return link polarization) to the gateway antenna system 131-b based at least in part on the uplink signal 173-h. The transmission system 615 may transmit the downlink signal 133-h according to beam 125-j-2. The beam 125-j-2 may be formed, for example, using a beamforming network 640-a, which may be configured by the control system 660 (e.g., to implement transmit beam weights in the beamforming network 640-a to align directional transmissions along beam direction 127-j-2 and generate beam 125-j-2 according to a scan angle θ2 relative to direction 715).

[0195] In some implementations, the seventh configuration may be supported by steering the direction 715 toward the target 710-g (e.g., throughout the duration that the satellite 120-d traverses between points 725-g-1 and 725-g-2). In some implementations, steering the satellite 120-d to support the seventh configuration may be based at least in part on a combination of the location of the gateway antenna system 131-b and the location of the antenna assembly 151-b (e.g., in combination with the location of the satellite 120-d). For example, the positioning and steering system 685 may be configured to steer the satellite 120-d based at least in part on the orientation of the direction 715 relative to the location of the gateway antenna system 131-b and the location of the antenna assembly 151-b. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be determined (e.g., at satellite 120-d, at a network controller of ground segment 101) based on beam performance, such as roll-off characteristics or differences between receive array 540-a and transmit array 550-a, or the transmit and receive capabilities of a target device (e.g., antenna assembly 151-b, gateway antenna system 131-b), or a combination thereof. In some examples, the orientation of direction 715 may be continuously calculated to be between (e.g., bisect) the angle between beam direction 127-j-1 and beam direction 127-j-2 as satellite 120-d traverses orbital path 720-g, which may relax the scan angle of beamforming networks 620 and 640 and improve signal integrity (e.g., by maintaining θ1 equal to θ2, or within a threshold difference in θ2, or by selecting θ1 and θ2 to support the same or similar scan roll-off characteristics or otherwise balance link characteristics).

[0196] Although payload implementations 700 are illustrated and described separately, a satellite 120-d including a payload 600 may support multiple payload implementations 700 simultaneously. In some examples, a satellite 120-d may be operable to support any pair of configurations implementing different ports 606 (e.g., supporting any two of forward receive, return receive, or crosslink receive) and different ports 618. For example, in a mode supporting two-way relaying without crosslinks, satellite 120-d may be configured to enable signal path 705-a and signal path 705-g (e.g., simultaneously), and in such a mode, satellite 120-d may be configured to disable other signal paths 705-b through 705-f (e.g., disable amplifiers 665-c and 670-c, disable beamforming network 620-c, disable ports 606-c, 611-c, 612-c, 616-c or connections therebetween, and disable switching element 626-d or their interconnections, among other disabling.) In another example, in a mode supporting two-way relaying with forward crosslinks, satellite 120-d may be configured to enable signal path 705-b and signal path 705-g, and in such a mode, satellite 120-d may be configured to disable signal paths 705-a and 705-c through 705-f. In another example, when in a mode supporting two-way relaying with a return crosslink, satellite 120-d may be configured to enable signal path 705-a and signal path 705-f, and in such a mode, the satellite may be configured to disable other signal paths 705-b through 705-e and 705-g. In another example, when in a mode supporting return relaying and crosslink relaying, satellite 120-d may be configured to enable signal path 705-d and signal path 705-g, and in such a mode, satellite 120-d may be configured to disable signal paths 705-a through 705-c, 705-e, and 705-f. In some examples, when any one of signal paths 705-a through 705-d is enabled, the others of these signal paths may be disabled.Additionally or alternatively, when any one of signal paths 705-e through 705-g is enabled, the others of these signal paths may be disabled. In each such example, the steering of satellite 120-d may be balanced among one or more valid configurations, such as minimizing scan angle, balancing or biasing link characteristics, and other considerations.

[0197] Thus, satellite 120-d may be operated in different modes, which may implement a first configuration through a seventh configuration, or a combination thereof (e.g., simultaneously, for two-way relaying). In some examples, orienting satellite 120-d may also include rotating satellite 120-d about a central axis of satellite 120-d (e.g., about the z-direction, about direction 715). For example, control system 660 may configure positioning and steering system 685 to rotate satellite 120-d about the z-direction (e.g., about direction 715) based on antenna parameters (e.g., the directional sensitivities of receive array 540, receive array 560, transmit array 550 along the x-direction, along the y-direction, or both), among other examples, or may orient satellite 120-d to improve energy collection using solar elements 530.

[0198] 8A and 8B illustrate an example of a satellite 120-f supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. The satellite 120-f may be configured to be deployed in an NGSO and may support various aspects of the techniques described in the communications system 100. For example, the satellite 120-f may support targeting functionality for receiving and transmitting beam signals, which may enable the satellite 120-f's relatively small size and relatively low complexity. In some examples, the satellite 120-f's relatively small size may support, among other factors, the relatively low cost and overhead associated with deploying the satellite 120-f in the communications system 100. For example, multiple satellites 120-f may be deployed from the same launch vehicle payload rather than launching and deploying the satellites 120-f individually. While some techniques are described with reference to a satellite 120-f operating in an NGSO, in some other examples, one or more of the described techniques may be implemented in a satellite 120 or satellite 180 operating in a geostationary orbit, among other implementation aspects.

[0199] Satellite 120-f may have a generally prismatic shape and may be described with reference to the x, y, and z directions of coordinate system 800. Satellite 120-f may include a body portion 810 having sides (e.g., surfaces that may be flat or curved), which may include side 811, side 812, side 813, side 814, side 815, and side 816. In some examples, the sides of satellite 120-f may be orthogonal, while in some other examples, the sides of satellite 120-f may be at different orientations, such as satellite 120-f having a trapezoidal prismatic shape, a diamond prismatic shape, a hexagonal prismatic shape, an octagonal prismatic shape, or other shapes.

[0200] In some examples, satellite 120-f may include one or more panels 820 deployable from body portion 810, such as panels 820-a and 820-b rotatably coupled to body portion 810, using hinges 825. In some implementations, panels 820 may carry one or more solar elements 830, which may be positioned on one or both sides of each panel 820 and may provide power to operational components of satellite 120-f. For example, satellite 120-f may include a first solar panel array configured to deploy from side 813 and a second solar panel array configured to deploy from side 814. In some examples, a control system of satellite 120-f may manage the deployment of panels 820 using hinges 825.

[0201] Satellite 120-f may support wireless communications between ground terminals, for example, by receiving uplink signaling (e.g., forward uplink signaling, return uplink signaling, uplink signal 132, uplink signal 173) using receive array 840 (e.g., uplink array, panel array, direct radiating array) and transmitting downlink signaling (e.g., forward downlink signaling, return downlink signaling, downlink signal 172, downlink signal 133) using transmit array 850 (e.g., downlink array, panel array, direct radiating array). For example, receive array 840 may be configured to receive signaling from the ground terminal, and transmit array 850 may be configured to transmit signaling to the ground terminal.

[0202] Satellite 120-f may also support wireless communications via other satellites 120 or satellite 180, for example, by receiving crosslink signaling (e.g., forward crosslink signaling, return crosslink signaling, crosslink signaling 175, signal 183) using a receive array 860 (e.g., crosslink receive array, panel array, direct radiating array) and transmitting crosslink signaling (e.g., forward crosslink signaling, return crosslink signaling, crosslink signaling 175, signal 183) using a transmit array 870 (e.g., crosslink transmit array, panel array, direct radiating array). For example, receive array 860 may be configured to receive signaling from other satellites, and transmit array 870 may be configured to transmit signaling to other satellites. The inclusion of the additional receive array 860 and the additional transmit array 870 may enable satellite 120-f to communicate crosslink signals with additional degrees of freedom (e.g., to steer satellite 120-f, to steer beam 125) compared to satellite 120-c to align beam 125 toward various target devices. Thus, satellite 120-f may include two high-power transmit arrays. In some examples, satellite 120-f may operate in a power-limited configuration in which only one of transmit array 850 or transmit array 870 is enabled. In various implementations, such a power-limited configuration may be a strict configuration of satellite 120-f, in which case satellite 120-f does not enable both transmit array 850 and transmit array 870 simultaneously. In some other examples, such a power-limited configuration may be implemented depending on circumstances, such as when satellite 120-f itself is operating in a low-power mode (e.g., associated with relatively low power provided by one or more solar panels and associated with a relatively low amount of stored energy in a battery). In other words, satellite 120-f may, in some examples, enable both transmit array 850 and transmit array 870 based on the amount of available power that meets a threshold, which may be based on the power involved in supporting communications via transmit array 850 and transmit array 870.

[0203] Receive array 840, transmit array 850, receive array 860, and transmit array 870 may be physically located on satellite 120-f (e.g., located on and fixed to satellite 120-f) to support efficient communication of beam signals (e.g., via beams 125) with user terminal 150, gateway terminal 130, and other satellites 120 or satellite 180. For example, receive array 840 and transmit array 850 may both be located on side 815 of satellite 120-f, and receive array 860 and transmit array 870 may be located on different sides, such as opposite sides from each other. For example, receive array 860 may be located on side 811 of satellite 120-f, and transmit array 870 may be located on side 812 of satellite 120-f (e.g., the side of satellite 120-f opposite receive array 860), or on another side of satellite 120-f (e.g., side 813, side 814) different from the side containing receive array 860 (e.g., providing two sides of satellite 120-f for signal reception and two sides of satellite 120-f for signal transmission). In some examples, receive array 840 and transmit array 850 may be separate assemblies of antenna elements (e.g., an assembly of receive elements separate from an assembly of transmit elements), which may support relatively improved signal isolation and packaging, among other advantages. In some other examples, receive array 840 and transmit array 850 may refer to interleaved antenna elements (e.g., receive elements and transmit elements distributed over at least partially overlapping surface areas) or may be implemented as a single array that implements antenna elements for both receive and transmit (e.g., as transceiver elements).

[0204] To support communication with the ground segment 101 using the receive array 840, the transmit array 850, or both, the satellite 120-f may be oriented so that the side 815 (e.g., the nominal direction of the side 815, the axis of the side 815, the positive z-direction of the satellite 120-f) is aligned toward the Earth (e.g., toward the service area, toward the location of the service area). Additionally, or alternatively, to support signal reception from another satellite 120 or 180 using the receive array 860, the satellite 120-f may be oriented so that the side 811 is aligned generally toward the other satellite 120 or 180 (e.g., within the scan range of the beamformer of the receive array 860). Additionally or alternatively, to support signal transmission to another satellite 120 or satellite 180 using transmit array 870, satellite 120-f may be oriented such that side 812 is generally aligned toward (e.g., within the scan range of the beamformer of transmit array 870) the other satellite 120 or satellite 180. Such orientation may be configured based on one or more types of relaying supported by satellite 120-f at a given time.

[0205] The receive array 840, the transmit array 850, the receive array 860, and the transmit array 870 may each be associated with an axis (e.g., nominal axis, boresight axis, boresight direction, outward direction) that may be the nominal direction of the respective array. In some examples, such a nominal direction may be associated with the direction of the array's peak gain capability (e.g., the direction of maximum radiated power, the direction of maximum receive sensitivity, the direction of lowest distortion). For example, the receive array 840 may be associated with axis 845, and the transmit array 850 may be associated with axis 855, each of which may be aligned along a positive z direction from the satellite 120-f (e.g., along a direction fixed relative to the body portion 810, along a direction from the side 815, or along a parallel direction). Thus, aligning the receive array 840, the transmit array 850, or both toward a target may be associated with orienting the satellite 120-f so that the positive z direction is aligned toward the target. Additionally, receive array 860 may be associated with axis 865, which may be aligned along the positive x-direction from satellite 120-f (e.g., perpendicular to axis 845 or in a different direction, perpendicular to axis 855 or in a different direction, a direction different from axis 845 and axis 855). In some implementations, aligning receive array 860 toward a target (e.g., a second target, along a second target direction) may additionally or alternatively be associated with orienting satellite 120-f so that the positive x-direction is aligned toward the target. Additionally, transmit array 870 may be associated with axis 875, which may be aligned along the negative x-direction from satellite 120-f (e.g., perpendicular to axis 845 or in a different direction, perpendicular to axis 855 or in a different direction, a direction different from axis 845 and axis 855, an opposite direction from axis 865 or in a different direction). In some implementations, aligning the transmit array 870 toward a target (e.g., a third target, along a third target direction) may additionally or alternatively be associated with orienting the satellite 120-f so that the negative x-direction is aligned toward the target.

[0206] Thus, satellite 120-f illustrates an example in which receive array 840 (e.g., axis 845) and transmit array 850 (e.g., axis 845) may be oriented along one direction, receive array 860 (e.g., axis 865) may be oriented along a different direction, and transmit array 870 (e.g., axis 875) may be oriented along a different direction, providing yet another degree of flexibility for directing beam 125. In the example of satellite 120-f, the direction of axis 865 is separated from the directions of axes 845 and 855 by 90 degrees (e.g., in a vertical plane), although in some other examples in accordance with the described techniques, the direction of axis 865 may be separated from the directions of axes 845 and 855 by different angles (e.g., as a fixed separation angle between the arrays), such as 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 120 degrees, 135 degrees, among others. Further, while in the example satellite 120-f, the direction of axis 875 is separated from the direction of axis 865 by 180 degrees (e.g., points in the opposite direction), in some other examples according to the described techniques, the direction of axis 875 may be separated from the direction of axis 865 by a different angle (e.g., as a fixed separation angle between the arrays), such as 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees, 135 degrees, among others. Such techniques may be supported by a non-flat surface of satellite 120, or a fixed array of antenna elements, such as one or more curved arrays or arrays of other shapes otherwise associated with axes 845, 855, 865, and 875 (e.g., in the case of satellite 120 having one or more curved surfaces, such as cylindrical or spherical surfaces). Further, while in the example of satellite 120-f, axis 845 and axis 855 are parallel, in some other examples, the directions of axis 845 and axis 855 may be separated by a fixed angle, such as 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, or some other fixed angle (e.g., between the outward directions of the sides of satellite 120, between the nominal directions of the curved array of satellite 120).

[0207] In some examples, the receive array 840 and the transmit array 850 may have similar cross-sectional areas, or the same number of antenna elements, or both. In some other examples, one of the receive array 840 or the transmit array 850 may be relatively larger than the other, or may have a relatively larger number of antenna elements, or may have relatively larger antenna elements, or a combination thereof. For example, the receive array 840 may be configured to receive signals in a first frequency range, and the transmit array 850 may be configured to transmit signals in a second frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range. In some examples, the receive array 860 may be configured to receive signals in a third frequency range that does not overlap with the first and second frequency ranges, and the transmit array 870 may be configured to transmit signals in the third frequency range.

[0208] In an example where the first frequency range is relatively higher than the second frequency range, the receive array 840 may be relatively smaller than the transmit array 850, which may be associated with the relatively shorter wavelengths of the relatively higher frequencies. Similarly, in an example where the third frequency range is between the first and second frequency ranges, the receive array 860, the transmit array 870, or both, may be sized between the receive array 840 and the transmit array 850. However, in various other implementations, such relative sizing or quantity of antenna elements may be reversed or otherwise different between the receive array 840, the transmit array 850, the receive array 860, and the transmit array 870 (e.g., depending on the relative frequencies supported by each array). Additionally or alternatively, the relative sizing or quantity of antenna elements may be balanced among receive array 840, transmit array 850, receive array 860, and transmit array 870 based on other criteria such as link balancing or biasing via satellite 120-f (e.g., balancing performance characteristics between forward link and return link communications, biasing performance characteristics to support relatively high forward link throughput, balancing performance characteristics between gateway terminals and user terminals, such as associated antenna characteristics), among other balancing.

[0209] In some examples, the receive array 840, the transmit array 850, or both may have triangular cross-sections. For example, when sharing a face of a satellite 120-f, dividing the surface area of ​​the face into triangles may support the receive array 840 and the transmit array 850 having more uniform beamforming characteristics than if the surface area were divided into adjacent rectangles or other shapes. In some other examples, the area of ​​the shared face of the satellite 120-f may be divided into rectangular cross-sections or other shapes for the receive array 840 and the transmit array 850, and during operation, the satellite 120-f may be rotated so that any beamforming or other signaling asymmetries may be advantageously aligned along a particular rotational direction. For example, the relative long dimensions of the receive array 840 or the transmit array 850 may be aligned along a particular direction, such as the direction of separation between the beams 125, which may reduce beamforming scan losses at angles relative to the axes 845 and 855 or relative to the z-direction of the satellite 120-f.

[0210] The receive systems (e.g., receive antenna systems, uplink antenna systems, receive systems including receive array 840, crosslink receive antenna systems, receive systems including receive array 860) of satellites 120-f may support receiving beam signals (e.g., uplink signal 132, uplink signal 173, crosslink signal 175, signal 183 via beam 125) from one or more target devices, such as one or more user terminals 150, one or more gateway terminals 130, another satellite 120, satellite 180, or a combination thereof. For example, receive array 840 may include one or more receive elements (e.g., receive antenna elements, receive feed elements) located on side 815 configured to receive signaling from the target devices, and receive array 860 may include one or more receive elements on side 811 configured to receive signaling from the target devices.

[0211] In some implementations, the receive elements of the receive array 840 may support reception of respective component signals associated with different polarizations and may be associated with or include respective ports (e.g., one or more ports, respective input ports, respective output ports) configured for the component signals associated with a particular polarization. For example, a set of receive elements of the receive array 840 may receive first component signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) of a first receive beam signal, each first component signal having a first polarization. The received first component signals may be converted (e.g., to electrical signals) and output using a set of first antenna element ports (e.g., output ports). Thus, at least some of the receive elements may receive portions or components of the first receive beam signal and output associated electrical signals from their respective first ports (e.g., to a first receive beamforming network corresponding to the first polarization). In some examples, the set of receiving elements may also receive second component signals of the second receive beam signal, each second component signal having a second polarization (e.g., different from and orthogonal to the first polarization). The received second component signals may be converted and output using a second set of antenna element ports. Thus, at least some of the receiving elements may also receive portions or components of the second receive beam signal and output associated electrical signals from their respective second ports (e.g., to a second receive beamforming network corresponding to the second polarization).

[0212] In some implementations, the receive elements of the receive array 860 may support reception of respective component signals associated with a crosslink polarization (e.g., a single polarization for signals received from another satellite 120 or from satellite 180), which may be the same as one of the first or second polarizations associated with the receive elements of the receive array 840, or may be another type of polarization. For example, a set of receive elements of the receive array 860 may receive third component signals of a third receive beam signal, each third component signal having a crosslink polarization. In some other examples, the crosslink signaling supported by satellite 120-f may be unpolarized. The received third component signals may be converted and output using a set of third antenna element ports (e.g., output ports). Thus, at least some of the receive elements of the receive array 860 may receive a portion or component of the third receive beam signal and output an associated electrical signal (e.g., to a third receive beamforming network corresponding to the crosslink polarization or lack thereof) from a respective third port.

[0213] In some examples, the receive array 840 may be configured to receive signaling according to a first polarization associated with forward link communications and a second polarization associated with return link communications, in which case the first polarization may be orthogonal to the second polarization. For example, the first polarization may be an example of LHCP, and the second polarization may be an example of RHCP. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second polarizations may be linearly polarized, such as the first polarization having a vertical polarization and the second polarization having a horizontal polarization. The cross-link polarization supported by the receive array 860 may be LHCP, RHCP, horizontal polarization, or horizontal polarization.

[0214] One or more receive systems of satellite 120-f may include one or more beamforming networks that may be configured to support directional reception via receive array 840 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of receive array 840) about axis 845 or via receive array 860 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of receive array 860) about axis 865. For example, such beamforming networks of one or more receive systems may each be configured to output one or more beam signals according to a respective beam 125 (e.g., receive beams) using component signals from a set of receive elements of receive array 840 or from a set of receive elements of receive array 860.

[0215] In some implementations, one or more receive systems of satellite 120-f may include a first beamforming network coupled to outputs of a first set of antenna element ports (e.g., associated with receive array 840) and may receive a first set of component signals (e.g., forward link component signals) from the first set of antenna element ports. The first beamforming network may output a single beam signal (e.g., forward link beam signal) associated with a first polarization to, for example, a transponder (e.g., a forward link transponder, a forward link signal path, part of a transponder system), which may route the beam signal to a transmit system, such as a transmit system including transmit array 850 and transmit array 870. In some implementations, one or more receive systems may also include a second beamforming network coupled to outputs of a second set of antenna element ports (e.g., associated with receive array 840) and may receive a second set of component signals (e.g., return link component signals) from the second set of ports. The second beamforming network may, for example, output a single beam signal (e.g., return link beam signal) associated with the second polarization to a transponder (e.g., a return link transponder, a return link signal path, part of a transponder system), and the transponder may route the beam signal to the transmit system. In some implementations, the receive system may also include a third beamforming network coupled to outputs of a third set of antenna element ports (e.g., associated with the receive array 860) and may receive a third set of component signals (e.g., cross link component signals) from the third set of ports. The third beamforming network may, for example, output a single beam signal (e.g., cross link beam signal) associated with the cross link polarization to a transponder (e.g., a cross signal path, part of a transponder system), and the transponder may route the beam signal to the transmit system.

[0216] The transmit system (e.g., transmit antenna system, downlink antenna system, transmit system including transmit array 850, crosslink transmit antenna system, transmit system including transmit array 870) of satellite 120-f may support transmitting beam signals (e.g., downlink signal 133, downlink signal 172, crosslink signal 175, signal 183 via beam 125) to one or more target devices, such as one or more user terminals 150, one or more gateway terminals 130, another satellite 120, satellite 180, or a combination thereof. For example, transmit array 850 may include one or more transmit elements (e.g., transmit antenna elements, transmit feed elements) located on side 815 configured to transmit signaling to the target device, and transmit array 870 may include one or more transmit elements on side 812 configured to transmit signaling from the target device. The transmit elements may include physical transducers that convert electrical signals (e.g., electrical component signals) to electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals).

[0217] One or more transmit systems of satellite 120-f may include one or more beamforming networks (e.g., transmit beamforming networks) that may be configured to support directional transmission via transmit array 850 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of transmit array 850) relative to axis 855 or to support directional transmission via transmit array 870 (e.g., via multiple antenna elements of transmit array 870) relative to axis 875. For example, each such beamforming network of a transmit system may be configured to transmit one or more beam signals according to a respective beam 125 (e.g., transmit beam) using component signals output to a set of transmit array 850 transmit elements or to a set of transmit array 870 transmit elements.

[0218] In some implementations, the transmit system may include a first beamforming network coupled to inputs of a set of first antenna element ports (e.g., of the transmit array 850). The first beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a transmit beam signal, a forward link beam signal) associated with a first polarization, for example, from a transponder, which may route the beam signal from one or more receive systems including the receive array 840 and the receive array 860. The first beamforming network may output a set of first component signals (e.g., forward link component signals) to the first set of antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 associated with the first polarization. In some implementations, the transmit system may also include a second beamforming network coupled to inputs of a set of second antenna element ports (e.g., of the transmit array 850). The second beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal) associated with a second polarization, for example, from a transponder, which may route the beam signal from one or more receive systems. The second beamforming network may output a set of second component signals (e.g., return link component signals) to a second set of antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 associated with a second polarization. In some implementations, the transmit system may also include a third beamforming network coupled to inputs of a set of third antenna element ports (e.g., of the transmit array 870). The third beamforming network may receive a single beam signal (e.g., a crosslink beam signal), for example, from a transponder, which may route the beam signal from one or more receive systems. The third beamforming network may output a set of third component signals (e.g., crosslink component signals) to a set of third antenna element ports for transmitting a single beam 125 (e.g., associated with a crosslink polarization or lack thereof).

[0219] In some implementations, the transmit elements of the transmit array 850 may support transmission of respective component signals associated with different polarizations and may be associated with or include respective ports (e.g., respective input ports, respective output ports) configured for component signals associated with particular polarizations. For example, a set of transmit elements may use a first set of antenna element ports (e.g., input ports) to receive first component signals (e.g., electrical component signals from a first transmit beamforming network corresponding to a first polarization) of a first transmit beam signal (e.g., a forward link beam signal), which may be converted by the transmit elements into electromagnetic signals (e.g., electromagnetic component signals) transmitted by the transmit elements according to the first polarization. Thus, at least some of the transmit elements may receive a portion or component of the first transmit beam signal and transmit an associated electromagnetic signal having the first polarization. In some examples, the set of transmit elements may use a second set of antenna element ports (e.g., input ports) to receive second component signals (e.g., from a second transmit beamforming network corresponding to a second polarization) of a second transmit beam signal (e.g., a return link beam signal), which may be converted by the transmit elements into electromagnetic signals transmitted by the transmit elements according to the second polarization. Thus, at least some of the transmit elements may also receive portions or components of the second transmit beam signal and transmit associated electromagnetic signals having a second polarization (e.g., different from and orthogonal to the first polarization).

[0220] In some examples, the transmit array 850 may transmit signaling according to a first polarization associated with forward link communications (e.g., signaling to the user terminal 150) and a second polarization associated with return link communications (e.g., signaling to the gateway terminal 130), in which case the first polarization may be orthogonal to the second polarization. For example, the first polarization may be an example of LHCP, and the second polarization may be an example of RHCP. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second polarizations may be linearly polarized, such as the first polarization having vertical polarization and the second polarization having horizontal polarization. In some implementations, the transmit array 850 may implement the same polarization as the receive array 840 for forward communications (e.g., implementing LHCP for the forward link) and may implement the same polarization as the receive array 840 for return communications (e.g., implementing RHCP for the return link). In some other implementations, the transmit array 850 may implement a different polarization for forward communication, for return communication, or both as the receive array 840 or the receive array 860. In various examples, the transmit array 870 may transmit crosslink signaling according to the crosslink polarization or without polarization.

[0221] In some implementations, satellite 120-f may include additional components to support wireless communications with gateway terminal 130, user terminal 150, other satellites 120, or satellite 180, among other devices. For example, satellite 120-f may include a patch antenna 884 (e.g., an S-band patch antenna), an omni-directional antenna 882 (e.g., an omnidirectional antenna), or both, which may support communications (e.g., transmit control signaling, receive control signaling) in a limited frequency range (e.g., 2 GHz to 4 GHz, non-overlapping with or otherwise distinct from receive array 840, transmit array 850, receive array 860, and transmit array 870). In some examples, one or more of such antennas may communicate control signals (e.g., via a control band), such as scheduling information, orbit adjustment information, and so on. Additionally or alternatively, patch antenna 884, omni antenna 882, or both may support transmitting or receiving signal 182, receiving uplink signal 132, receiving uplink signal 173, transmitting downlink signal 133, transmitting downlink signal 172, transmitting or receiving crosslink signal 175, or any combination thereof, among other examples. In some examples, patch antenna 884, omni antenna 882, or both may be located on a different side of satellite 120-f than receive array 840 and transmit array 850, e.g., side 511 or side 516 (e.g., opposite receive array 840 and transmit array 850).

[0222] In some implementations, satellite 120-f may include a tracking system 880 (e.g., a star tracker) to support detection of telemetry information for satellite 120-f. For example, tracking system 880 may measure the positions of stars or other objects to determine the location of satellite 120-f, the velocity of satellite 120-f, the orientation of satellite 120-f, or any combination thereof. In some examples, satellite 120-f may use the characteristics of satellite 120-f determined by tracking system 880 to determine or calculate an orbital path or other telemetry information, transmit the telemetry information (e.g., using a telemetry beacon), or use the telemetry information to control the orientation of satellite 120-f (e.g., using an angular momentum system) or determine the direction of each of one or more beams 125, among other implementations.

[0223] In some implementations, satellite 120-f may include one or more components that support control of orbital parameters of satellite 120-f. For example, satellite 120-f may include one or more thrusters 886, which in some examples may be located on a different side (e.g., side 816) of satellite 120-f than receive array 840, transmit array 850, receive array 860, and transmit array 870, or on one or more other sides. Thrusters 886 may be operable to modify the orbital path of satellite 120-f. Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-f may include an angular momentum system (e.g., internal to satellite 120-f, not shown) operable to orient (e.g., rotate) satellite 120-f about one or more axes (e.g., to align one or more sides of satellite 120-f along one or more target directions, to align axis 845, axis 855, axis 865, axis 875, or combinations thereof along one or more target directions).

[0224] Satellite 120-f may include a control system that supports various operations of satellite 120-f. For example, such a control system may configure aspects of directional reception, directional transmission, or both, such as modifying beam weights or beam hopping in one or more beamforming networks of the receiving system, the transmitting system, or both. Additionally or alternatively, such a control system may be configured to modify orbital characteristics of satellite 120-f (e.g., in conjunction with enabling transponder signal paths and configuring beamforming parameters), such as to modify the alignment of satellite 120-f (e.g., using the angular momentum system of satellite 120-f to body steer to align the satellite's face, such as side 815, side 811, or side 812, or its antenna system, such as axis 845, 855, 865, or 875, along various directions), or to change the orbital path itself (e.g., using thrusters 886 to change the altitude of satellite 120-f or redirect the orbital path of satellite 120-f). In various implementations, such a control system may perform actions based on configuration (e.g., pre-configuration, hardware configuration, software configuration) at satellite 120-f, based on signaling received at satellite 120-f (e.g., via signal 132, via signal 173, via signal 183, via receive array 840, via patch antenna 884, via omni-antenna 882, from a network controller, from a terminal, command signaling, parameter signaling, instructions), based on detections at satellite 120-f (e.g., characteristics of satellite 120-f, signal quality characteristics, characteristics of communications relayed by satellite 120-f, sensor measurements of environmental characteristics, communications measurements), or any combination thereof.

[0225] In some examples, receive array 840 and transmit array 850 may be configured for communication with ground segment terminals, although receive array 840 and transmit array 850 may additionally or alternatively be configured for communication with or via another satellite, such as another satellite 120 or another satellite 180. For example, to support GEO link aspects, satellite 120-f may support wireless communications by receiving signals 183 using receive array 240, or by transmitting signals 183 using transmit array 250, or both (e.g., via respective beams 125). In some examples, such techniques may be supported by aligning the positive z direction of satellite 120-f toward satellite 180 (e.g., for at least a portion of the orbital path of geosynchronous satellite 120-f).

[0226] 9 illustrates an example of a payload 900 supporting techniques for an NGSO satellite communications system according to examples disclosed herein. Payload 900 may be implemented on a satellite 120, such as satellite 120-f described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. For example, payload 900 may include a receiving system 905 (e.g., a receiving subsystem, a receiving antenna system), a transmitting system 915 (e.g., a transmitting subsystem, a transmitting antenna system), and a transponder system 910 (e.g., a transponder subsystem, a set of transponders, a set of signal paths, a set of beam signal paths) coupled to receiving system 905 and transmitting system 915. While receiving system 905, transponder system 910, and transmitting system 915 are illustrated, components may be distributed differently among other systems or subsystems in accordance with the described techniques.

[0227] Payload 900 may support relaying beam signals (e.g., signals associated with one or more beams 125) to or between terminals of ground segment 101 (e.g., between gateway terminal 130 and user terminal 150), to or between one or more other satellites (e.g., another satellite 120, satellite 180), or combinations thereof. For example, receive system 905 may include receive subsystem 907-a (e.g., uplink subsystem), which may include receive array 840-a and may include or otherwise be coupled to port 906 (e.g., ports 906-a and 906-b, output port, uplink port). Receive array 840-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive elements) located on a side of satellite 120, such as side 815. In some examples, receive subsystem 907-a may be configured for reception in a first frequency range (e.g., an uplink frequency range, 81-86 GHz). Receive subsystem 907-a may be operable to acquire and output, via ports 906-a and 906-b, one or more beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, uplink beam signals, receive beam signals) based on component signals received via antenna elements of receive array 840-a.

[0228] The receive system 905 may also include a receive subsystem 907-b (e.g., a crosslink receive subsystem), which may include the receive array 860-a and may include or otherwise be coupled to port 906-c (e.g., a crosslink port). The receive array 860-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., receive elements) located on a different side of the satellite 120, such as side 811 (e.g., a side orthogonal to or otherwise different from the receive array 840-a), or on another side different from the receive array 840-a. Such a physical arrangement may reduce interference when receiving signals from different target devices along different directions. In some examples, the receive subsystem 907-b may be configured for reception in a second frequency range (e.g., a crosslink frequency range, 61-66 GHz, or another frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range). The receiving subsystem 907-b may be operable to acquire and output, via port 906-c, beam signals (e.g., signals of beam 125, crosslink beam signals, received beam signals) based on component signals received via the antenna elements of the receiving array 860-a.

[0229] The transmit system 915 may include a transmit subsystem 917-a (e.g., a downlink transmit subsystem), which may include the transmit array 850-a and may include or otherwise be coupled to ports 916 (e.g., ports 916-a and 916-b, input ports, downlink ports). The transmit array 850-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., transmit elements) located on a side of the satellite 120, such as side 815. In some examples, the transmit subsystem 917-a may be configured for transmission in a third frequency range (e.g., a downlink frequency range, 71-76 GHz). The transmit system 917 may be operable to acquire (e.g., via ports 916-a and 916-b) and transmit beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, downlink beam signals) based on the component signals transmitted via the antenna elements of the transmit array 850-a.

[0230] The transmit system 915 may also include a transmit subsystem 917-b (e.g., a crosslink transmit subsystem), which may include a transmit array 870-a and may include or otherwise be coupled to a port 916-c (e.g., a crosslink port). The transmit array 870-a may include one or more antenna elements (e.g., transmit elements) located on a side of the satellite 120, such as side 812 (e.g., an opposite or otherwise different side from the receive array 860-a). Such a physical arrangement may facilitate receiving uplink signals or relaying crosslink signals along a direction different from that for transmitting downlink signals. In some examples, the transmit subsystem 917-b may be configured for transmission in a second frequency range (e.g., a crosslink frequency range, 61-66 GHz, whereby the crosslink frequency range is centered between the uplink and downlink frequency ranges, which may improve isolation between different types of signaling and the hardware supporting such signaling). The transmitting system 917 may be operable to acquire (e.g., via port 916-c) and transmit beam signals (e.g., signals of respective beams 125, crosslink beam signals) based on the component signals transmitted via the antenna elements of the transmitting array 870-a.

[0231] The transponder system 910 (e.g., a transponder subsystem, a set of transponders, a set of signal paths between the receiving system 905 and the transmitting system 915) may be coupled to a port 906 of the receiving system 905 and operable to receive one or more beam signals from the receiving system 905. For example, the transponder system 910 may include ports 911 (e.g., input ports 911-a and 911-b, which may be uplink ports, and port 911-c, which may be a crosslink port) operable to couple with each port 906 of the receiving system 905. In some other examples, each port 911 and 906 may be referred to as or equivalent to a common port or node. The transponder system 910 may also be coupled to a port 916 of the transmitting system 915 and operable to output one or more beam signals to the transmitting system 915. For example, the transponder system 910 may include ports 912 (e.g., output ports, port 912-a and port 912-b, which may be downlink ports, and port 912-c, which may be a crosslink port) operable to couple (e.g., in a one-to-one correspondence) with respective ports 916 of the transmitting system 915. In some other examples, each port 912 and 916 may be referred to as or equivalent to a common port or node. Thus, the transponder system 910 may be considered to include three ports 911 (e.g., three inputs) coupled with respective ports 906 (e.g., three outputs) of the receiving system 905, and the transponder system 910 may be considered to include three ports 912 (e.g., three outputs) coupled with respective ports 916 (e.g., three inputs) of the transmitting system 915. Thus, transponder system 910 may support various signal paths for coupling its port 912 with its port 911 and performing various intervening signal processing.

[0232] Payload 900 may be operable to support different modes (e.g., signaling mode, communication mode, relay mode, signal path mode, signal routing mode, beam signal mode) or combinations of modes for relaying beam signals. Among other operations of satellite 120 including payload 900, such modes may be controlled (e.g., configured, coordinated, initiated) at least in part by payload's control system 960, which may be coupled to at least receiving system 905, transponder system 910, and transmitting system 915 to configure one or more aspects of the respective components. For example, control system 960 may support, among other operations, managing beamforming networks (e.g., beamforming network 920, beamforming network 940), activating and deactivating signal paths of transponder system 910, managing satellite alignment (e.g., aligning satellite 120 toward a target, changing the orbital path of satellite 120). Control system 960 may include any quantity of one or more processors, which may include processors co-located within payload 900 or distributed throughout payload 900. Any one or more of such processors may be configured (e.g., individually, collectively, by software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof) to cause satellite 120 (e.g., payload 900) to perform various operations described herein.

[0233] In various modes, payload 900 may support relaying crosslink signals (e.g., signaling from or to another satellite 120 or 180), return link signals (e.g., signaling from one or more user terminals 150 to gateway terminal 130), or forward link signals (e.g., signaling from gateway terminal 130 to one or more user terminals 150), or combinations thereof, which may include relaying crosslink signals (e.g., return uplink component signals as electromagnetic component signals of uplink signal 173, crosslink component signals as electromagnetic component signals of crosslink signal 175) via antenna elements of receive array 840-a, receive array 860-a, or both (e.g., receive antenna elements). In some examples, the component signals may be received by the antenna elements according to polarizations that may be allocated to particular types of communications. For example, a component signal associated with return link signaling may be associated with a first polarization (e.g., RHCP), a component signal associated with forward link signaling may correspond to a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization (e.g., LHCP), and a component signal associated with cross link signaling may correspond to the first polarization, the second polarization, or another polarization, or may be unpolarized. In some examples, if a component signal is associated with return link signaling or forward link signaling, the component signal may be received (e.g., via receive array 840-a) in a first frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz), and if the component signal is associated with cross link signaling, the component signal may be received (e.g., via receive array 860-a) in a second frequency range (e.g., 61-66 GHz) or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range.

[0234] The antenna elements of receive array 840-a may output respective first component signals (e.g., electrical component signals associated with a first polarization) to beamforming network 920-a (e.g., via respective output ports) and, in some examples, may output respective second component signals (e.g., associated with a second polarization) to beamforming network 920-b. In some examples, beamforming network 920-a and beamforming network 920-b may be referred to as a single beamforming network 920 of receive subsystem 907-a configured to support directional reception of a single respective beam 125 of each of the different polarizations supported by receive array 840-a. The antenna elements of receive array 860-a may output respective component signals to beamforming network 920-c. For at least some, if not all, of each antenna element, the beamforming network 920 may apply gain, phase adjustment, or time adjustment, or any combination thereof, to the component signals according to the beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of the receive beam 125 according to the receive beam weights configured by the control system 960) to generate a receive beam signal (e.g., a return link uplink beam signal, a forward link uplink beam signal, or a cross link beam signal) based on the component signals received from the antenna element.

[0235] Each beamforming network 920 may include an output 922 (e.g., a single output, output 922-a corresponding to output of a return link uplink beam signal, output 922-b corresponding to output of a forward link uplink beam signal, output 922-c corresponding to output of a cross link beam signal) that may be configured to output a received beam signal to the transponder system 910 (e.g., via port 906-a, 906-b, or 906-c. In some examples, output 922 may be configured to output the received beam signal in the same frequency range in which the component signals were received. In some examples, output 922 may be supported by activating (e.g., by control system 960) a respective amplifier 965 (e.g., amplifier 965-a, amplifier 965-b, amplifier 965-c).

[0236] Transponder system 910 may include various signal paths between ports 911 and 912. For example, transponder system 910 may include a first signal path between port 911-b and port 912-b (e.g., for forward uplink-downlink relay), a second signal path between port 911-c and port 912-b (e.g., for forward crosslink-downlink relay), a third signal path between port 911-b and port 912-c (e.g., for forward uplink-crosslink relay), a fourth signal path between port 911-c and port 912-c (e.g., for crosslink-crosslink relay), and a fourth signal path between port 911-b and port 912-c (e.g., for forward uplink-crosslink relay). ), a fifth signal path between port 911-a and port 912-c (e.g., for return uplink-crosslink relay), a sixth signal path between port 911-c and port 912-a (e.g., for return crosslink-downlink relay), and a seventh signal path between port 911-a and port 912-a (e.g., for return uplink-downlink relay), at least some of which may be supported simultaneously by transponder system 910 (e.g., for multi-directional relay).

[0237] In some examples, transponder system 910 may include one or more switching components 926 having inputs 927 (e.g., input ports) and outputs 928 (e.g., output ports), which may be operable to control (e.g., implement, configure based on configuring switching component 926 via control system 960) the coupling between various signal path components. For example, transponder system 910 may include switching component 926-a (e.g., a single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) switch), which may route signals from input 927-a to output 928-a-1 or output 928-a-2. Transponder system 910 may also include switching component 926-b (e.g., an SPDT switch), which may route signals from input 927-b to output 928-b-1 or output 928-b-2. Transponder system 910 may also include a switching component 926-c (e.g., a double-pole, double-throw (DPDT) switch) that may route signals from input 927-c-1 or input 927-c-2 to output 928-c-1 or output 928-c-2. Transponder system 910 may also include a switching component 926-d (e.g., a single-pole, triple-throw (SP3T) switch) that may route signals from input 927-d to output 928-d-1, output 928-d-2, or output 928-d-3.

[0238] In some examples, transponder system 910 may include one or more couplers 921 (e.g., signal path junctions) that support passing at least a portion of one or more signals input to coupler 921 through an output of coupler 921 (e.g., providing coupling between components). For example, coupler 921-a may pass signals from output 928-d-1, signals from port 911-a, or both to frequency converter 925-a (e.g., an uplink-to-IF frequency converter). Coupler 921-b may pass signals from output 928-d-2, signals from port 911-b, or both to frequency converter 925-b (e.g., an uplink-to-IF frequency converter). Coupler 921-c may pass signals from output 928-a-2, signals from output 928-b-2, or both to frequency converter 936 (e.g., an uplink-to-IF frequency converter). Coupler 921-d may pass the signal from output 928-d-3, or the signal from frequency converter 936, or both, to port 912-c (e.g., to beamforming network 940-b via input 942-b). Coupler 921 may include one or more switches (e.g., operable using control system 960) to support relaying signals, adding (e.g., summing) signals, or both, among other examples. In some examples, a signal from a single component coupled to coupler 921 may be passed by coupler 921, which may be the result of one or more other components coupled to coupler 921 being disabled (e.g., deactivated, de-energized).

[0239] Each signal path of the transponder system 910 may be coupled to one of the outputs 922 (e.g., directly or via an amplifier 965, if applicable) and may be operable to receive a received beam signal from the beamforming network 920 (e.g., via port 911). In some implementations, the transponder system 910 may include one or more frequency converters between the ports 911 and 912. For example, the transponder system 910 may receive the received beam signal and generate an IF signal using a frequency converter 925 (e.g., a downconverter, frequency converter 925-a, frequency converter 925-b) that converts the frequency of the IF signal to the IF frequency range. In some examples, the IF frequency range may be 11 to 16 GHz or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range. In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, the frequency converter 925 may receive an oscillator signal having a first oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 70 GHz, 81-86 GHz range to a 11-16 GHz range) from a frequency generator 930 or the like (e.g., from switching component 926-c, from input 927-c-2) and may output an IF signal having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the received beam signal and the first oscillator frequency.

[0240] Additionally or alternatively, transponder system 910 may downconvert a received beam signal (e.g., a crosslink beam signal from receive subsystem 907-b) from a second frequency range (e.g., a crosslink frequency range, 61-66 GHz) to an IF frequency range to receive the second received beam signal and generate an IF signal using a frequency converter 925 that converts the frequency of the second IF signal to the IF frequency range. In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, frequency converter 925 may receive an oscillator signal (e.g., from switching component 926-c, from input 927-c-1) having a second oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 50 GHz, 61-66 GHz range to an 11-16 GHz range) from frequency generator 930 or the like, and output a second IF signal having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the frequency of the second received beam signal and the second oscillator frequency.

[0241] In some examples, payload 900 may be considered a processing payload and may include circuitry for processing techniques such as analog-to-digital conversion, demodulation, signal extraction, demultiplexing, multiplexing, signal insertion, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, and other processing techniques. In some such examples, such processing techniques may be implemented on the IF signals between frequency converter 925 and frequency converters 936 and 955. In some other examples, the payload may be considered a non-processing payload (e.g., in a bent-pipe payload configuration), and the IF signals may be forwarded through transponder system 910 without such processing techniques.

[0242] Along various signal paths, the transponder system 910 may also upconvert the IF signal from the IF frequency range to another frequency range, such as a downlink frequency range, to generate a downlink beam signal (e.g., a return link downlink beam signal, a forward link downlink beam signal), or upconvert it to a crosslink frequency range to generate a crosslink beam signal. For example, the transponder system 910 may include frequency converters 935 (e.g., upconverters, frequency converters 935-a and 935-b) that receive the IF signal and convert the frequency of the downlink beam signal to a third frequency range (e.g., a downlink frequency range). In some examples, the fourth frequency range may be 71 to 76 GHz, or another frequency range having the same bandwidth as the first frequency range, the second frequency range, the IF frequency range, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the first frequency range and the third frequency range may not overlap, which may support aspects of the receiving system 905 and the transmitting system 915 (e.g., antenna elements, signal processing hardware) configured according to different operating frequencies and avoid crosstalk between the transmitting system 915 and the receiving system 905. In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, the frequency converter 935 may receive an oscillator signal having a third oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from 60 GHz, an 11-16 GHz range, to a 71-76 GHz range), such as from the frequency generator 930 (e.g., from oscillator 980-a), and may output a downlink beam signal (e.g., via port 912-a or 912-b) having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the frequency of the IF signal and the third oscillator frequency.

[0243] Transponder system 910 may also include a frequency converter 936 that receives an IF signal (e.g., from switching component 926-a or 926-b) and converts the frequency of the crosslink beam signal to a second frequency range (e.g., the 61-66 GHz range). In some cases, to support such frequency conversion, frequency converter 936 may receive a second oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency (e.g., converting from a 50 GHz, 11-16 GHz range to the 61-66 GHz range), such as from frequency generator 930, and output a crosslink beam signal having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the frequency of the IF signal and the second oscillator frequency.

[0244] Transponder system 910 (e.g., frequency converter 935, frequency converter 936) may output one or more (e.g., one or two) downlink beam signals, or crosslink beam signals, or both to transmit system 915 (e.g., via one or more ports 912, via one or more ports 916) to beamforming networks 940 (e.g., beamforming network 940-a, beamforming network 940-b, beamforming network 940-c, transmit beamformer), etc. Each beamforming network 940 may include an input 942 (e.g., a single input), which may be configured to receive a beam signal (via the respective port 916) from transponder system 910. In some examples, input 942 may be configured to receive the downlink beam signal or the crosslink beam signal in the same frequency range in which the component signals are transmitted. In some examples, beamforming network 940-a and beamforming network 940-b may be referred to as a single beamforming network 940 of transmit subsystem 917-a configured to support directional reception of a single respective beam 125 of each of the different polarizations supported by transmit array 850-a.

[0245] In some examples, input 942 may be supported by activating an associated amplifier 970. For at least some, if not all, of the antenna elements of transmit array 850-a or transmit array 870-a, beamforming network 940 may apply respective gains, respective phase adjustments, or respective time adjustments, or any combination thereof, to the beam signals to generate component signals for the antenna elements (e.g., return link component signals, forward link component signals, crosstalk component signals). Such component signals may be provided to the antenna elements (e.g., to respective first input ports of the antenna elements) so that transmit array 850-a or transmit array 870-a can transmit downlink or crosslink beam signals according to a beamforming direction (e.g., the direction of transmit beam 125 according to the transmit beam weights configured by control system 960).

[0246] Frequency generator 930 may be implemented in various configurations to support frequency converters 925, 935, and 936 (e.g., to output oscillator signals at one or more frequencies). For example, frequency generator 930 may output one or more oscillator signals using one or more oscillators 980 (e.g., oscillator circuits), or a combination of one or more oscillators 980 and one or more frequency converters 975, among other configurations. In the example payload 900, frequency generator 930 may be configured to generate oscillator signals at three frequencies (e.g., 70 GHz, 60 GHz, and 50 GHz) using two oscillators 980 (e.g., at 60 GHz and 10 GHz). For example, oscillator 980-a may be configured to generate and output (e.g., to frequency converter 935-a, frequency converter 935-b, frequency converter 975-a, and frequency converter 975-b) an oscillator signal having a third oscillator frequency (e.g., 60 GHz). Oscillator 980-b may be configured to generate and output (e.g., to frequency converter 975-a and frequency converter 975-b) an oscillator signal having a fourth frequency (e.g., 10 GHz). In some other examples, frequency generator 930 may include three oscillators 980 that generate oscillator signals at respective frequencies of frequency converters 925, 935, and 936 (e.g., 70 GHz, 60 GHz, 50 GHz).

[0247] Oscillator 980-b may be used by frequency generator 930 to generate oscillator signals having other frequencies. For example, frequency generator 930 may include frequency converter 975-a, which may generate and output (e.g., to switching component 926-c) an oscillator signal having a first oscillator frequency equal to the sum of the frequencies of oscillator 980-a and oscillator 980-b (e.g., 55 GHz, the sum of the third oscillator frequency and the fourth oscillator frequency, the sum of 60 GHz and 10 GHz). Frequency generator 930 may also include frequency converter 975-b, which may generate and output (e.g., to switching component 926-c) an oscillator signal having a second oscillator frequency equal to the difference between the frequencies of oscillator 980-a and oscillator 980-b (e.g., 50 GHz, the difference between the third oscillator frequency and the fourth oscillator frequency, the difference between 60 GHz and 10 GHz). However, other configurations of frequency generator 930 may be implemented in accordance with the described techniques, such as including a separate oscillator 980 for each oscillator frequency used by frequency converter 925, 935, or 936 (e.g., omitting frequency converter 975), among other implementations.

[0248] The payload 900 may implement a positioning and steering system 985 that may manage operations related to modifying the orbital characteristics of the satellite 120, including the payload 900, such as modifying the orbital path of the satellite 120 (e.g., the velocity along the orbital path, the altitude of the orbital path, the course of the orbital path) or the orientation of the satellite 120 (e.g., to steer the satellite 120 along the orbital path, to orient the axis 845 of the receive array 840-a, to orient the axis 855 of the transmit array 850-a, to orient the axis 865 of the receive array 860-a, to orient the axis 875 of the transmit array 870-a, to orient the side 815 of the satellite 120, to orient the side 811 of the satellite 120, to orient the side 812 of the satellite 120, or a combination thereof). For example, positioning and steering system 985 may include thrusters 886, which may be operated at least in part by control system 960 to modify the orbital path of satellite 120. Additionally or alternatively, positioning and steering system 985 may include an angular momentum system, such as a reaction wheel, a CMG, or both. Control system 960 may implement the angular momentum system (e.g., to steer satellite 120 by converting between angular momentum and electrical energy) to adjust the orientation of satellite 120, for example, to support improved communication of beam signals.

[0249] In some cases, payload 900 may receive power from satellite 120 (e.g., from solar element 830), for example, using power system 908 (e.g., a DC power converter). In some cases, power system 908 may include or be coupled to a power storage system, such as an on-board battery. Power system 908 may extract power from the battery to power aspects of payload 900, transfer power to the battery, or both. Additionally or alternatively, power system 908 may be coupled to positioning and steering system 985. For example, power system 908 may extract power from an angular momentum system, transfer power to an angular momentum system, or both (e.g., impose angular acceleration or deceleration on satellite 120).

[0250] In some cases, the control system 960 may operate according to signaling received by the satellite 120. Such signaling may be associated with a frequency range (e.g., 13.5 GHz) centered within the IF frequency range. For example, the payload 900 may include an operational command receiver 962 that may decode commands (e.g., command messages) received by the receiving system 905. In some examples, the operational command receiver 962 may decode messages (e.g., commands from the gateway terminal 130) included in the forward uplink beam signal. For example, the second signal path may include a coupler (not shown) that supports relaying at least a portion of the IF signal to both the frequency converter 935-b and the operational command receiver 962. The coupler may include one or more switches (e.g., operable using the control system 960) to support relaying the IF signal to the operational command receiver 962, may support signal addition (e.g., summing), or both, among other examples. In some cases, the operational command receiver 962 may receive a schedule including information such as beam weights (e.g., array beam pointing information for the beamforming networks 920 and 940), instructions for body steering operations, beam hopping information, or the like, which may be provided to the control system 960.

[0251] Additionally or alternatively, satellite 120-a may use a data link transmitter 967 (e.g., a command transmitter) to transmit signaling to indicate the status of satellite 120. Such signaling may also be associated with a frequency range (e.g., 13.5 GHz) centered within the IF frequency range. For example, data link transmitter 967 may generate a beacon signal containing information such as telemetry, satellite 120 health status, payload status (e.g., the status of payload 900), or other information. Data link transmitter 967 may transmit the generated beacon signal to a coupler (not shown), which may add the beacon signal to a downlink beam signal. For example, the coupler may include one or more switches or other circuits that support summing the IF signal and the beacon signal.

[0252] Thus, payload 900 illustrates an example for supporting communications with a receiving system 905, a transponder system 910, and a transmitting system 915 having specific ports assigned to specific types of communications, and thus specific types of signaling characteristics. For example, receiving system 905 (e.g., its subsystem 907) may be configured for an uplink frequency range (e.g., 81-86 GHz) and a crosslink frequency range (e.g., 61-66 GHz), and transmitting system 915 (e.g., its subsystem) may be configured for a downlink frequency range (e.g., 71-76 GHz) and a crosslink frequency range (e.g., 61-66 GHz). Orthogonality for different ports between forward, return, and crosslink communications in receiving system 905 and transmitting system 915 may be provided by orthogonal polarizations, such as assigning an RHCP to return communications and an LHCP to forward communications, where the crosslink communications may be polarized or unpolarized.

[0253] In some examples, transponder system 910 may thus include a single signal path for forward communications between receiving system 905 and transmitting system 915 that includes a net frequency conversion from the uplink frequency range to the downlink frequency range and maintains the forward link polarization, a single signal path for return communications between receiving system 905 and transmitting system 915 that includes a net frequency conversion from the uplink frequency range to the downlink frequency range and maintains the return link polarization association, and a single signal path for crosslink communications between receiving system 905 and transmitting system 915 that omits frequency conversion (e.g., maintains the crosslink frequency range), maintains the crosslink polarization or lack thereof. Payload 900 also illustrates example input and output mappings for various relays and associated signal characteristic conversions between uplink, downlink, and crosslink signaling. Such a configuration may provide an efficient means for unidirectional or multidirectional forward and return signal relay on a satellite 120 (e.g., satellite 120-f) containing payload 900, including such relaying that may involve crosslink signaling with another satellite 120 or satellite 180.

[0254] In some examples, the gains of the forward link transponder (e.g., between output 922-a and input 942-a), return link transponder (e.g., between output 922-b and input 942-b), and cross link tr...

Claims

1. A satellite (120), a first receive antenna system (907) comprising one or more first receive antenna elements located on a first side (815) of the satellite; a first transmitting antenna system (917) comprising one or more first sets of transmitting antenna elements located on the first side of the satellite; a second receive antenna system (907) comprising one or more second sets of receive antenna elements located on a second side (811) of the satellite; a second transmit antenna system (917) comprising one or more second sets of transmit antenna elements located on a third side (812) of the satellite opposite the second side; A satellite (120).

2. the first receive antenna system is configured to receive uplink signals (132, 173); the first transmit antenna system is configured to transmit downlink signals (133, 172); the second receive antenna system is configured to receive crosslink signals (175, 183); 2. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the second transmitting antenna system is configured to transmit a crosslink signal (175, 183).

3. the first receiving antenna system and the first transmitting antenna system are operable for communication with a ground terminal (130, 150) when the first side of the satellite is aligned toward a ground location; 3. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the first receiving antenna system and the first transmitting antenna system are operable for communication with a second satellite (120, 180) when the first side of the satellite is aligned away from a terrestrial location.

4. the first receiving antenna system is configured to receive signaling (132, 173) from a ground terminal (130, 150); A satellite according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first transmitting antenna system is configured for transmitting signaling (133, 172) to a ground terminal (130, 150).

5. the first receive antenna system is configured to receive signaling (132) from a gateway terminal (130) according to a first polarization; the first receive antenna system is configured to receive signaling (172) from a user terminal (150) according to a second polarization; the first transmitting antenna system is configured to transmit signaling (133) to a gateway terminal (130) according to the first polarization; 5. The satellite of claim 4, wherein said first transmitting antenna system is configured to transmit signaling (172) to a user terminal (150) according to said second polarization.

6. the second receiving antenna system is configured to receive signaling (175, 183) from other satellites (120, 180); The satellite of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second transmitting antenna system is configured for transmitting signaling (175, 183) to other satellites (120, 180).

7. the second receive antenna system is configured to receive unpolarized signaling; The satellite of claim 6 , wherein the second transmit antenna system is configured to transmit unpolarized signaling.

8. the first set of receive antenna elements configured for reception in a first frequency range; A satellite according to any preceding claim, wherein the first set of transmit antenna elements is configured for transmission in a second frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range.

9. 9. The satellite of claim 8, wherein the second set of receive antenna elements is configured for reception in a third frequency range that does not overlap with the first frequency range and that does not overlap with the second frequency range.

10. 10. The satellite of claim 9, wherein the first set of transmit antenna elements is configured for transmission in the third frequency range.

11. A satellite according to any one of claims 1 to 10 configured for operation in a non-geostationary orbit.

12. A satellite according to any one of claims 1 to 11 configured for operation in geostationary orbit.

13. the first set of receive antenna elements comprises a plurality of first receive antenna elements of a first phased array (840) located on the first side of the satellite; the first set of transmit antenna elements comprises a plurality of first transmit antenna elements of a second phased array (850) located on the first side of the satellite; the second set of receive antenna elements comprises a plurality of second receive antenna elements of a third phased array (860) located on the second side of the satellite; 13. The satellite of claim 1, wherein the second set of transmit antenna elements comprises a plurality of second transmit antenna elements of a fourth phased array (870) located on the third side of the satellite.

14. the plurality of first receive antenna elements comprises a first quantity of antenna elements; 14. The satellite of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first transmit antenna elements comprises a second quantity of antenna elements different from the first quantity of antenna elements.

15. the first phased array is associated with a first surface area of ​​the first side of the satellite; 15. A satellite as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the second phased array is associated with a second surface area on the first side of the satellite that is larger or smaller than the first surface area.

16. A satellite according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the plurality of first transmitting antenna elements are larger or smaller than the plurality of first receiving antenna elements.

17. a first receive beamforming network (920) configured to support directional reception via the plurality of first receive antenna elements relative to a first boresight (845) of the first phased array; and a first transmit beamforming network (940) configured to support directional transmission via the plurality of first receive antenna elements to a second boresight (855) of the second phased array; and a second receive beamforming network (920) configured to support directional reception via the plurality of second receive antenna elements relative to a third boresight (865) of the third phased array; and a second transmit beamforming network (940) configured to support directional transmission via the plurality of second receive antenna elements to a fourth boresight (875) of the fourth phased array; and A satellite according to any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising:

18. the second receive beamforming network is configured to support directional reception of a single first beam (125) via the plurality of second receive antenna elements; 18. The satellite of claim 17, wherein the second transmit beamforming network is configured to support directional transmission of a single second beam (125) via the plurality of second transmit antenna elements.

19. the first receive beamforming network is configured to support directional reception of a single third beam (125) of a first polarization and a single fourth beam (125) of a second polarization via the plurality of first receive antenna elements; 19. The satellite of claim 17 or 18, wherein the first transmit beamforming network is configured to support directional transmission of a single fifth beam in the first polarization and a single sixth beam in the second polarization via the plurality of first transmit antenna elements.

20. 20. The satellite of claim 1, further comprising an angular momentum system (985) operable to orient a boresight (865) of the second receiving antenna system based at least in part on a location of a second satellite (120, 180), or to orient a boresight (875) of the second transmitting antenna system based at least in part on a location of a third satellite (120, 183), or both.

21. 21. The satellite of claim 20, wherein the angular momentum system is operable to orient the boresight of the second receiving antenna system, or orient the boresight of the second transmitting antenna system, or both, about an axis that is parallel to the boresight of the first receiving antenna system, or the boresight of the first transmitting antenna system, or both, while orienting the boresight of the first receiving antenna system, or the boresight of the first transmitting antenna system, or both, toward a location (1010) within a service area.

22. 22. The satellite of claim 20 or 21, further comprising a tracking system (880) located on the second side of the antenna or on the third side of the antenna and configured to support determining a location of the satellite, an orientation of the satellite, or both, wherein the angular momentum system is operable to orient the boresight of the second receive antenna system, or orient the boresight of the second transmit antenna system, or both, based at least in part on the determined location of the satellite, the determined orientation of the satellite, or both.

23. A satellite according to any preceding claim, further comprising a thruster (886) located on a fourth side (816) of the satellite opposite the first side.

24. a first solar panel array (830) configured to deploy from a fifth side (813) of the satellite; and a second solar panel array (830) configured to deploy from a sixth side (814) of the satellite opposite the fifth side.

25. A satellite according to any preceding claim, wherein the first side is perpendicular to the second side and the third side.

26. A satellite, a first surface (815) comprising one or more first receive antenna elements of a first receive antenna system (907) and one or more first transmit antenna elements of a first transmit antenna system (917); a second plane (811) perpendicular to said first plane, comprising one or more second receive antenna elements of a second receive antenna system (907); a third surface (812) perpendicular to the first surface and opposite the second surface, the third surface comprising one or more second transmitting antenna elements of a second transmitting antenna system (917); A satellite comprising:

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