Satellite system with enhanced payload capacity

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

receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;

forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

forwarding said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said first feeder link operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein

the receiving step comprises receiving data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:

operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;

receive data from the user when in view of the user; and

complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is received at a data rate greater than 100 Mbps.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is an unmanned aeronautical vehicle (UAV).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is located at a latitude greater than 75 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forwarding said data from the second satellite to the gateway comprises transiting the data via at least a third satellite in a communications path between the second satellite and the gateway.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the satellite system operates in low earth orbit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feeder link frequency band is within Ka-band.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the feeder link, and the crosslink is bidirectional.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving data from the user comprises receiving data from a plurality of users at an aggregate data rate greater than 300 Mbps.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving data from the user comprises receiving data from a plurality of users at an aggregate data rate greater than 1 Gbps.

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

receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;

forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

forwarding said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said first feeder operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein

the receiving step comprises receiving data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by a first antenna on the first satellite, said first antenna being configured to:

operate at a frequency-within the feeder link frequency band;

receive data from the user when in view of the user; and

a second antenna on the first satellite is configured to complete a second feeder link to the gateway when in view of the gateway.

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

receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;

forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

forwarding said data from the second satellite by a feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein

the data is received from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link, wherein the user comprises a user terminal with at least one of a transmitter output power less than 50 watts and an aperture size less than 1.3 meters.

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

receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and a first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system;

forwarding said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

forwarding said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein

the data is received from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link, wherein the satellite system comprises an improvement to a preselected baseline communications capacity of at least one satellite, said baseline communications capacity being preselected with reference to a mission traffic model based on a low data rate user link.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the improvement comprises at least one of:

implementing advanced forward error correction techniques such as Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) to improve link performance;

implementing large file size transmissions to improve link performance;

implementing an advanced quality of service technique comprising at least one of gain control, an adaptive resending request control method (ARQ), and rate adaptation to improve link performance;

increasing a size of a crosslink antenna;

increasing a size of a feeder link antenna;

implementing multi-beam feeder link antennas;

adding at least one of an additional crosslink antenna and an additional feeder link antenna;

adding bandwidth to at least one of the crosslink and the feeder link;

implementing a more efficient waveform;

increasing effective isotropically radiated power; and

implementing at least one of an optical cross link and an optical feeder link.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data is received at a data rate greater than 100 Mbps.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the user is an unmanned aeronautical vehicle (UAV).

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the user is located at a latitude greater than 75 degrees.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein forwarding said data from the second satellite to the gateway comprises transiting the data via at least a third satellite in a communications path between the second satellite and the gateway.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the antenna is configured to complete a second feeder link to the gateway when in view of the gateway.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the antenna is a first antenna configured to receive data from the user at the frequency associated with the feeder link when in view of the user, and a second antenna on the first satellite is configured to complete the feeder link to the gateway when in view of the gateway.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the satellite system operates in low earth orbit.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the frequency associated with the feeder link is within Ka-band.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the feeder link, and crosslink is bidirectional.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving data from the user comprises receiving data from a plurality of users at an aggregate data rate greater than 300 Mbps.

25. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving data from the user comprises receiving data from a plurality of users at an aggregate data rate greater than 1 Gbps.

26. A satellite system comprising:

a first satellite for receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

said second satellite being configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link, operating within a feeder link frequency band, to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein

the first satellite receives data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:

operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;

receive data from the user when in view of the user; and

complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the data is received at a data rate greater than 100 Mbps.

28. The system of claim 26 , wherein forwarding said data from the second satellite to the gateway comprises transiting the data via at least a third satellite in a communications path between the second satellite and the gateway.

29. The system of claim 26 , wherein the satellite system operates in low earth orbit.

30. The system of claim 26 , wherein receiving data from the user comprises receiving data from a plurality of users at an aggregate data rate greater than 300 Mbps.

31. The system of claim 26 , wherein receiving data from the user comprises receiving data from a plurality of users at an aggregate data rate greater than 1 Gbps.

32. A satellite system comprising:

a first satellite for receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

said second satellite being configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link, operating within a feeder link frequency band, to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein

the first satellite receives data from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by a first antenna on the first satellite, said first antenna being configured to operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band and receive data from the user when in view of the user; and

a second antenna on the first satellite is configured to complete a second feeder link to the gateway when in view of the gateway.

33. A satellite system comprising:

a first satellite for receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being operable to forward said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

said second satellite being operable to forward said data from the second satellite by a feeder link to a terrestrial gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network, wherein the data is received from the user at a data rate greater than 30 Mbps by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link, wherein the user comprises a user terminal with at least one of a transmitter output power less than 50 watts and an aperture size less than 1.3 meters.

34. A satellite system comprising:

a first satellite for receiving data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being operable to forward said data over a crosslink from the first satellite to at least a second satellite within the satellite system; and

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

35. A satellite within a satellite system wherein:

said satellite is a first satellite configured to receive data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;

said second satellite is configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to a gateway, said first feeder link operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network; and

the data is received from the user by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:

operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;

receive data from the user when in view of the user; and

complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.

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

a first satellite is configured to receive data from a user over a communications link between the user and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;

said second satellite is configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a first feeder link to the gateway, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network; and

the data is received from the user by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to operate at a frequency associated with the feeder link.

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

a first satellite is configured to receive data from the user terminal over a communications link between the user terminal and the first satellite, said first satellite being one of a plurality of satellites within the satellite system and being configured to forward said data over a crosslink to at least a second satellite within the satellite system;

said second satellite is configured to forward said data from the second satellite by a feeder link to the gateway said first feeder link operating within a feeder link frequency band, said gateway being communicatively coupled to a terrestrial data network; and

the data is received from the user terminal by an antenna on the first satellite, said antenna being configured to:

operate at a frequency within the feeder link frequency band;

receive data from the user when in view of the user; and

complete a second feeder link to the terrestrial gateway when in view of the terrestrial gateway.