Satellite Swarm Beamforming for Low-Power Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high costs associated with launching small satellites into orbit are exacerbated by their limited electrical power, which restricts their communication capabilities, making it challenging to transmit large volumes of data to ground stations efficiently at low power.
Innovation Solution
A satellite communications system utilizing multiple channels and processing methods, including beamforming and MIMO protocols, to efficiently transfer data from a satellite swarm to a ground-based antenna array, where each satellite communicates over multiple channels with multiple antennas, allowing for coherent summing and interference filtering to enhance signal reception and reduce power requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If small satellites are used to reduce launch costs, then launch costs are reduced, but electrical power and communication capabilities are greatly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple small satellites are merged into a coordinated swarm that functions as a unified communication system. The collective signal from multiple satellites compensates for the limited power of individual satellites, achieving high-data-rate transmissions without requiring high-power individual transmitters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from single-satellite communication to multi-satellite swarm communication, adding the dimension of spatial coordination. By distributing satellites across multiple orbital positions and coordinating their transmissions, the system achieves enhanced communication capability beyond what a single small satellite could provide.
2Quantity of substance
If large volumes of data are collected by sensor systems on small satellites, then data collection capability is improved, but transmission capability to ground becomes insufficient due to low power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines signals from multiple satellites transmitting data to the same ground antenna. By coherently combining these signals, the system achieves high data rate transmission without requiring each satellite to transmit at high power individually. The collective transmission power of the swarm compensates for the limited power of individual satellites.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple satellites transmit copies of the same data to ground stations. Rather than requiring each satellite to transmit unique high-volume data, the system uses redundant transmissions from multiple satellites, where the ground station combines these copies to reconstruct the full data set, effectively overcoming individual power limitations.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple small spacecraft transmit data to ground, then data collection capability is improved, but the problem of transmitting extremely large volumes of data at very low power becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges transmissions from multiple low-power satellites into a single high-rate data stream at the ground station. By coordinating transmissions and combining signals, the system achieves efficient energy utilization where the total energy consumed by multiple low-power transmitters is less than what would be required by a single high-power transmitter.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes costs both in space and on the ground by enabling high-data-rate transmissions at low power, effectively overcoming the limitations of small satellites by leveraging coordinated and uncoordinated protocols, channel monitoring, and beamforming techniques to optimize data extraction and transmission.
Implementation Method 1
A processor forms separate digital beams from each of the separate signals digitized by the converter
Implementation Method 2
utilizes the separate digital beams from the non-selected satellites from the plurality of satellites to filter cross-channel interference from the collective signal
Data Source
AI summary
A satellite communications system includes a plurality of satellites that generate communications data over a plurality of channels. A plurality of antennas receives the communications data over the plurality of channels generated by the plurality of satellites. Each of the antennas receives a separate signal from each of the plurality of satellites over the channels. A converter digitizes each of the separate signals from each of the plurality of satellites received at the plurality of antennas. A processor forms separate digital beams from each of the separate signals digitized by the converter.