Systems and methods for reconfigurable faceted reflector antennas

1. A method for antenna pattern shaping of a geostationary communications satellite in orbit, the satellite having a reconfigurable faceted reflector and an antenna feed for illuminating the reconfigurable faceted reflector, the method comprising:

selecting a desired coverage area on Earth;

determining, based on the orbital position of the satellite and the desired coverage area on Earth, optimal positions for each of a plurality of reflector facets for radiating the desired coverage area, wherein the plurality of reflector facets are coupled to a plurality of adjusting mechanisms; and

adjusting, while the satellite is in orbit, using the plurality of adjusting mechanisms, the positions of the plurality of reflector facets to the determined optimal positions for the plurality of reflector facets.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining optimal positions for each of the plurality of reflector facets is accomplished by way of a ground controller and transmitting commands relative to the optimal positions to satellite.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the optimal positions of the plurality of reflector facets is further based on receiving a failure condition of at least one of the actuators.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the adjusting mechanisms comprises a linear actuator, and the commands for adjusting the plurality of reflector facet positions are commands for independently adjusting each of the linear actuators to move each of the plurality of reflector facets towards or away from a backing structure to which each of the adjusting mechanisms is attached.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reflector facets, the plurality of adjusting mechanisms, and a backing structure form a main reflector, the method further comprising:

determining optimal positions of a second plurality of reflector facets coupled to a second plurality of adjusting mechanisms and mounted to a second backing structure;

wherein the second plurality of reflector facets, the second plurality of adjusting mechanisms, and the second backing structure form a sub-reflector.

6. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a second desired coverage area that is different from a first desired coverage area;

determining, based on the second desired coverage area, second optimal positions for the plurality of reflector facets for radiating the second desired coverage area; and

transmitting, to the plurality of adjusting mechanisms, commands for adjusting the plurality of reflector facet positions to the determined second optimal positions of the plurality of reflector facets for radiating the second desired coverage area.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining optimal positions of the multiple reflector facets by a ground-based processing and transmitting instructions to the satellite relating to the optimal positions by telemetry to the satellite.

8. A communications satellite having a transmitter to transmit radiation and a reconfigurable reflector to reflect the radiation towards Earth, the reconfigurable reflector being on the order of several meters in diameter, the reflector comprising:

a backing structure;

multiple adjusting mechanisms mounted to the backing structure, each adjusting mechanism including an actuator; and

discrete multiple reflector facets, each reflector facet being on the order of several inches, wherein the multiple reflector facets are coupled to the multiple adjusting mechanisms for adjusting the position of the reflector facets; wherein

the reflector facets are adjustable by way of the multiple adjusting mechanisms to produce a first antenna pattern, the first antenna pattern contoured to a desired coverage area of Earth so that radiation transmitted by the transmitter is reflected towards Earth with a beam shape optimized for the desired coverage area; and

the reflector facets are further adjustable to produce a second antenna pattern, the second antenna pattern contoured to a different desired coverage area of Earth so that radiation transmitted by the transmitter is reflected towards Earth with a beam shape optimized for the different desired coverage area so that radiation transmitted by the transmitter is reflected towards Earth with a second beam shape optimized for the second desired coverage area.

9. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of adjusting mechanisms is associated with a discrete reflector facet.

10. The satellite of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of adjusting mechanisms is a linear actuator.

11. The satellite of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of fixed reflector facets that are mounted to the backing structure and are not coupled to an adjusting mechanism.

12. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein a plurality of reflector facets are tillable.

13. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein each of a subset of the plurality of reflector facets is curved.

14. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the plurality of reflector facets is differently sized from at least another one of the plurality of reflector facets.

15. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein the backing structure profile is one of parabolic, ellipsoidal, flat, hyperbolic, and spherical.

16. The satellite of claim 8 , wherein each adjusting mechanism is a tilting mechanism for tilting one of the plurality of reflector facets to tilt the corresponding one of the plurality of reflector facets relative to the backing structure.

17. The satellite of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of translating mechanisms, wherein the each of the plurality of translating mechanisms is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of reflector facets to tilt the corresponding one of the plurality of reflector facets relative to the backing structure.

18. A communications satellite having a transmitter to transmit radiation and a reconfigurable reflector to reflect the radiation towards Earth, the reconfigurable reflector comprising:

a backing structure;

multiple adjusting mechanisms mounted to the backing structure;

multiple actuators for adjusting the multiple adjusting mechanisms; and

multiple reflector facets,

wherein at least a subset of the multiple reflector facets are adjustable by way of the multiple actuators;

wherein the reflector facets are adjustable to produce a first antenna pattern contoured to a desired coverage area of Earth so that radiation transmitted by the transmitter is reflected towards Earth with a beam shape optimized for the desired coverage area and the reflector facets are adjustable to produce a second antenna pattern different from the first antenna pattern.

19. The communications satellite of claim 18 , further comprising a processor on board the satellite configured for determining optimal positions of each of the multiple reflector facets.

20. The communications satellite of claim 18 , wherein each of the subset of the multiple reflector facets are tiltable.