Adaptive communication system

1. A satellite communications system, comprising:

a satellite configured for laser satellite-to-satellite communications and laser satellite-to-aircraft communications without demodulation of a received laser communication;

a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds, the communications relay aircraft comprising:

a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication;

a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications;

wherein the RF communications module is configured to take first data received as laser communication by the laser communications module and to generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the first data; and

wherein the laser communications module is configured to take second data received as RF communication by the RF communications module and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the second data; and

a plurality of ground terminals at or near ground level, a first ground terminal configured to communicate with the communications relay aircraft using cloud-penetrating RF communications, configured to communicate with a second ground terminal by communication relayed through the communications relay aircraft and further relayed through the satellite, the first ground terminal configured to communicate directly with the satellite using laser communication and further configured to select a communication path from a plurality of communication paths extending from the first ground terminal to the satellite including a direct laser communication path from the first ground terminal to the satellite and a relayed communication path from the first ground terminal to the satellite that is relayed by the communications relay aircraft for communication between the first ground terminal and the satellite according to communication speeds of the plurality of communication paths.

2. The satellite communications system of claim 1 , wherein:

the satellite is configured for orbiting the Earth in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

3. The satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the communications relay aircraft generates a laser signal corresponding to an RF signal received from the first ground terminal, the laser signal relayed through a plurality of satellites by laser satellite-to-satellite communication, and the laser signal amplified by one or more of the plurality of satellites through which the laser signal is relayed.

4. The satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the communications relay aircraft is a High-Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) that is adapted for flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet.

5. The satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the satellite includes a plurality of laser communications modules for communicating with two or more satellites, one or more communications relay aircraft, and one or more ground terminals.

6. The satellite communications system of claim 1 wherein the satellite is configured for only laser communications with other satellites, with a ground terminal, and with the communications relay aircraft.

7. The satellite communications system of claim 6 wherein the satellite is configured to operate as an optical repeater to receive an optical beam from the communications relay aircraft and to relay the optical beam, or a portion of the optical beam, to another satellite.

8. The satellite communications system of claim 7 wherein the satellite is configured to receive the optical beam and to direct the optical beam through one or more optical switches to an optical output that is directed to the other satellite.

9. The satellite communications system of claim 8 wherein the satellite is configured to receive routing information for the optical beam in a routing laser communication that is separate from the optical beam and to demodulate the routing laser communication to determine a destination address.

10. The satellite communications system of claim 6 wherein the satellite does not include RF communication components.

11. The satellite communication system of claim 1 wherein the satellite includes one or more optical amplifiers to amplify a received laser beam for relay to another satellite.

12. The satellite communication system of claim 11 wherein the satellite further includes one or more laser frequency upconverters or laser frequency downconverters.

13. The satellite communication system of claim 1 wherein the satellite is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite that includes flaps for steering the satellite.

14. The satellite communication of system of claim 13 wherein the satellite does not include any propulsion mechanism.

15. The satellite communication system of claim 1 wherein the communications relay aircraft includes a balloon filled with lighter-than-air gas.

16. A satellite communications system, comprising:

a satellite configured for relaying laser communications without demodulation or modulation of the laser communications including relaying laser communications between one or more satellites and an aircraft or ground and relaying laser communications from a first satellite to a second satellite the satellite is configured to receive routing information for a laser communication in a routing laser communication that is separate from the laser communication, to demodulate the routing laser communication to determine a destination address, and to relay the laser communication to another satellite selected according to the destination address; and

a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds, the communications relay aircraft comprising:

a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication;

a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications;

wherein the RF communications module is configured to take first data received as laser communication by the laser communications module and to generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the first data; and

wherein the laser communications module is configured to take second data received as RF communication by the RF communications module and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the second data.

17. The satellite communications system of claim 16 wherein the satellite is configured for orbiting the Earth in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

18. A satellite communications system, comprising:

a satellite configured for laser satellite-to-satellite communications and laser satellite-to-aircraft communications without demodulation of a received laser communication; and

a communications relay aircraft adapted for flying at altitudes above clouds, the communications relay aircraft comprising:

a laser communications module to communicate with the satellite using laser communication;

a Radio Frequency (RF) communications module to communicate with RF equipment at or near ground level using cloud-penetrating RF communications;

wherein the RF communications module is configured to take first data received as laser communication by the laser communications module and to generate a corresponding RF transmission containing the first data;

wherein the laser communications module is configured to take second data received as RF communication by the RF communications module and to generate a corresponding laser transmission containing the second data; and

wherein the satellite is configured for only laser communications with other satellites, with ground, and with the communications relay aircraft, to operate as an optical repeater to receive an optical beam from the communications relay aircraft, to direct the optical beam through one or more optical switches to an optical output that is directed to another satellite and thereby relay the optical beam, or a portion of the optical beam, to the other satellite, to receive routing information for the optical beam in a routing laser communication that is separate from the optical beam and to demodulate the routing laser communication to determine a destination address.

19. The satellite communication system of claim 18 wherein the satellite is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite that includes flaps for steering the satellite.

20. The satellite communications system of claim 18 wherein the communications relay aircraft is a High-Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) that is adapted for flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet.