Satellite system with rolling wave handovers

1. A satellite system, comprising:

a plurality of satellites consisting of N satellites, each satellite including a plurality of steerable beams, the plurality of satellites adapted to be in a common orbit and to implement handovers of steerable beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, the common orbit divided into N−1zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations, a handover of beams between adjacent satellites including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of a zone between the adjacent satellites;

the satellites are non-geosynchronous satellites;

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a first trigger location, a new first rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a first group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit; and

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a second trigger location, a new second rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a second group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit.

2. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the handovers of beams include handovers of all communication beams together per satellite.

3. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the N satellites and the N−1 zones are configured such that at a given time, N−1 satellites are in one-to-one correspondence with the N−1 zones and a remaining satellite is in handover from one zone to another.

4. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

each satellite includes at least one of a motor for mechanical steering of the plurality of steerable beams and a phased array for electrical steering of the plurality of steerable beams.

5. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a trigger location at an entrance band of a zone, a new rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit.

6. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of satellites include a first satellite and a second satellite;

the common orbit includes gaps between the zones;

the first satellite is configured to point all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1;

the first satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 from a gap between zone A and zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all beams of its group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1and zone A+2; and

the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

7. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of satellites include a first satellite and a second satellite;

the common orbit includes gaps between the zones;

the first satellite is configured to point all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the first satellite is configured to be in an entrance band of zone A+1 while the second satellite is in an exit band of zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all beams of its group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite is in the entrance band of zone A+1 and the second satellite is in the exit band of zone A+1;

the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1and zone A+2; and

the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

8. A satellite system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of satellites are configured such that each time one of the satellites is at a boundary of a first zone, a new rolling wave of handovers is started.

9. A method of operating a satellite system, comprising:

orbiting a plurality of non-geosynchronous satellites consisting of N satellites in a common orbit, the common orbit including N−1 zones;

N−1 satellites of the plurality of satellites maintaining communication with ground locations of the N−1 zones with an individual satellite of the N−1 satellites maintaining communication with ground locations of a zone in which it is located, a remaining satellite of the plurality of satellites in handover at a given time; and

each time one of the plurality of satellites is at a trigger location, starting a new rolling wave of handovers that includes performing handovers of a group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, including:

performing a first handover from a second satellite to a first satellite at a first time, the first handover including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of the second satellite to the first satellite;

subsequently, performing a second handover from a third satellite to the second satellite at a second time, the second handover including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of the third satellite to the second satellite; and

subsequently, performing a third handover from a fourth satellite to the third satellite at a third time, the third handover including concurrent handover of all steerable beams of the fourth satellite to the third satellite.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

each time one of the satellites is at a boundary of a first zone, the new rolling wave of handovers is started.

11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

each satellite includes only steerable beams; and

the handovers include concurrent handovers of all steerable beams per satellite.

12. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the plurality of satellites includes a first satellite and a second satellite;

the common orbit includes gaps between the zones;

the performing handovers comprises:

the first satellite traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1,

the first satellite pointing all of its beams of a group of beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1,

the first satellite traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1,

the second satellite concurrently handing over all beams of the group of beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1,

the second satellite moving out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2, and

the first satellite updating pointing of its beams of the group while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

13. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

each time one of the satellites is at a second location, a new second rolling wave of handovers is started that includes performing handovers of a different group of dependent spot beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in the single direction around the common orbit.

14. A satellite system, comprising:

a non-geosynchronous satellite having steerable beams that are steerable by mechanically or electrically steerable antennas, the non-geosynchronous satellite configured to concurrently handover all of its steerable beams to a trailing adjacent satellite and subsequently reconfigure pointing of steerable antennas of the steerable beams, the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to concurrently receive handover of all steerable beams from a leading adjacent satellite after reconfiguring the pointing of the steerable antennas of the steerable beams; and

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to follow an orbit that is divided into zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations, and to concurrently handover all of its steerable beams to the trailing adjacent satellite when the non-geosynchronous satellite is located in a first zone and to concurrently receive handover of all steerable beams from the leading adjacent satellite when the non-geosynchronous satellite is in a second zone that is separated from the first zone by a gap.

15. A satellite system according to claim 14 , wherein:

the satellite is configured to participate in a rolling wave of handovers of beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around a common orbit.

16. A satellite system according to claim 14 , wherein:

the non-geosynchronous satellite, the trailing adjacent satellite and the leading adjacent satellite travel on a common orbit;

the common orbit is divided into zones with gaps between the zones;

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to point all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 while the leading adjacent satellite is in zone A+1;

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to receive handover of all steerable beams from the leading adjacent satellite while the non-geosynchronous satellite and the leading adjacent satellite are in zone A+1; and

the non-geosynchronous satellite is configured to update pointing of all steerable beams while the non-geosynchronous satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

17. A satellite system, comprising:

a plurality of satellites consisting of N satellites, each satellite including a plurality of steerable beams, the plurality of satellites adapted to be in a common orbit and to implement handovers of steerable beams between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, the common orbit divided into N−1zones with gaps between zones, each zone associated with a set of ground locations;

a first satellite configured to travel in the common orbit, the first satellite is configured to travel in a gap between zone A and zone A+1, the first satellite is configured to point all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1; and

a second satellite configured to travel in the common orbit, the first satellite is configured to move into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1, the second satellite is configured to concurrently hand over all of its steerable beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1, the second satellite is configured to move out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2, the first satellite is configured to update pointing of its steerable beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.

18. A satellite system according to claim 17 , wherein:

each satellite includes at least one of a motor for mechanical steering of the plurality of steerable beams and a phased array for electrical steering of the plurality of steerable beams.

19. A method of operating a satellite system that includes a plurality of satellites having steerable beams that are steerable by steerable antennas, the plurality of satellites including a first satellite and a second satellite of N satellites in a common orbit that is divided into N−1 zones with gaps between the zones, the method comprising:

implementing handovers of all steerable beams of a zone between adjacent satellites in sequence for pairs of adjacent satellites in a single direction around the common orbit, wherein a handover between the first satellite and the second satellite includes:

the first satellite traveling in a gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the first satellite pointing all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+1 while traveling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1;

the first satellite moving into zone A+1 while the second satellite is in zone A+1and while the second satellite maintains communication with the ground locations associated with zone A+1;

the second satellite concurrently handing over all of its steerable beams to the first satellite while the first satellite and the second satellite are in zone A+1;

subsequently, the second satellite moving out of zone A+1 into a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2;

subsequently, the second satellite travelling in a gap between zone A+1 and zone A+2;

the second satellite pointing all of its steerable beams at ground locations associated with zone A+2 while travelling in the gap between zone A and zone A+1; and

the first satellite updating pointing of its steerable beams of the group of beams while the first satellite traverses zone A+1 and maintains communication with ground terminals using its beams of the group.