Satellite system using an RF GBBF feeder uplink beam from a gateway to a satellite, and using an optical ISL from the satellite to another satellite

1. A subsystem of a satellite, the subsystem comprising:

one or more antennas configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway subsystem;

a polarizer configured to separate the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another;

first and second amplifiers configured to respectively amplify the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another;

first and second demultiplexers configured demultiplex and thereby separate, respectively, each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another into a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals;

a plurality of lasers, each of the lasers operable to emit an optical signal having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;

a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), each EOM of the plurality of EOMs configured to accept an optical carrier signal from a respective one of the plurality of lasers, accept a different one of a subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals, which is optionally frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOM, and output a respective optical signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the demultiplexed RF signal accepted by the EOM;

a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) multiplexer configured to accept the optical signals output by the plurality of EOMs, and combine the plurality of optical signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;

an optical amplifier configured to amplify the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and

transmitter optics configured to accept the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal and transmit an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam to another satellite in dependence thereon.

2. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the RF feeder uplink beam, that the one or more antennas is/are configured to receive from a ground based gateway subsystem, is produced in part using ground based beamforming.

3. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal that is accepted by the transmitter optics to produce and transmit an optical ISL beam to another satellite has RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.

4. The subsystem of claim 1 , further comprising filters within signal paths between the demultiplexers and the WDM multiplexer.

5. The subsystem of claim 1 , wherein the specified optical wavelength range is either a contiguous, or a non-contiguous, optical wavelength range within an infrared (IR) spectrum.

6. The subsystem of claim 1 , further comprising forward link equipment that is configured to produce and transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams based on a second subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals.

7. The subsystem of claim 6 , further comprising a cross-connect switch that is configured to:

receive the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals produced by the first and second demultiplexers; and

separate the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals into first and second subsets of demultiplexed RF signals;

wherein the first set of demultiplexed RF signals are accepted by the EOMs, optionally after being frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOMs; and

wherein the second set of demultiplexed RF signals are provided to the forward link equipment that is configured to produce and transmit the plurality of RF service downlink beams based on the second subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals.

8. The subsystem of claim 7 , further comprising filters within signal paths between the cross-connect switch and the EOMs.

9. The subsystem of claim 7 , further comprising frequency down-converters within signal paths between the cross-connect switch and the EOMs.

10. The subsystem of claim 6 , wherein a specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to produce and transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams comprises a downlink portion of the Ka band.

11. A method for use by a subsystem of a satellite, the method comprising:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway sub system;

separating the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another;

amplifying the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another;

demultiplexing and thereby separating each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to collectively produce a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals;

emitting a plurality of optical carrier signals each having a different peak wavelength within a specified optical wavelength range;

at each of a plurality of electro-optical modulators (EOMs), accepting a different one of the plurality of optical carrier signals, accepting a different one of a subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals, which is optionally frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOM, and outputting a respective optical signal in dependence on the optical carrier signal and the demultiplexed RF signal accepted by the EOM;

multiplexing the optical signals output by the plurality of EOMs to thereby combine the plurality of optical signals into a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal;

amplifying the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to thereby produce an optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal; and

providing the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal to transmitter optics to thereby produce and transmit an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam to another satellite.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the RF feeder uplink beam, that is received from a ground based gateway subsystem, is produced in part using ground based beamforming.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optically amplified wavelength division multiplexed optical signal that is provided to transmitter optics to thereby produce and transmit an optical ISL beam to another satellite has RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising filtering each RF signal in the subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals before providing the RF signal to a respective EOM.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the specified optical wavelength range is either a contiguous, or a non-contiguous, optical wavelength range within an infrared (IR) spectrum.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising producing and transmitting a plurality of RF service downlink beams based on a second subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

separating the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals into first and second subsets of demultiplexed RF signals;

wherein the first set of demultiplexed RF signals are accepted by the EOMs, optionally after being frequency up-converted and filtered prior to being accepted by the EOMs; and

wherein the second set of demultiplexed RF signals are provided to forward link equipment that is used to produce and transmit the plurality of RF service downlink beams based on the second subset of the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising filtering each of the RF signals in the first set of demultiplexed RF signals before the RF signals are provided to and accepted by the EOMs.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising frequency down-converting each of the RF signals in the first set of demultiplexed RF signals before the RF signals are provided to and accepted by the EOMs.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein a specified RF frequency range within which the satellite is configured to produce and transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams comprises a downlink portion of the Ka band.

21. A system comprising:

a ground based gateway subsystem configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam to a satellite; and

a subsystem of the satellite, the subsystem configured to

receive the RF feeder uplink beam that is transmitted by the ground based gateway sub system,

separate the RF feeder uplink beam into first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another,

amplify the first and second RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby produce first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another, and

demultiplex each of the first and second amplified RF signals that are orthogonal to one another to thereby collectively produce a plurality of demultiplexed RF signals;

the subsystem also configured to produce and transmit, in dependence on a first subset of the demultiplexed RF signals, an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam that is transmitted to another satellite; and

the subsystem also configured to produce and transmit, in dependence on a second subset of the demultiplexed RF signals, one or more RF service downlink beams that is/are transmitted to one or more service terminals.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the ground based gateway subsystem includes a ground based beamformer that is used to produce the RF feeder uplink beam.

23. A system comprising:

a ground based gateway subsystem configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam to a satellite; and

a subsystem of the satellite, the subsystem configured to receive the RF feeder uplink beam that is transmitted by the ground based gateway subsystem;

the subsystem also configured to produce, in dependence on the RF feeder uplink beam, an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam that is transmitted to another satellite;

wherein the optical ISL beam, which is produced by the subsystem and transmitted to the other satellite, comprises a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal having RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the subsystem includes a cross-connect switch that is configured to separate the plurality of demultiplexed RF signals into the first and second subsets of demultiplexed RF signals.

25. A subsystem for a satellite, the subsystem comprising:

one or more antennas configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) feeder uplink beam that is transmitted from a ground based gateway subsystem; and

forward link equipment configured to produce, in dependence on the RF feeder uplink beam, an optical inter-satellite-link (ISL) beam that is transmitted to another satellite;

wherein the optical ISL beam, which is produced by the forward link equipment of the subsystem and transmitted to the other satellite, comprises a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal having RF frequencies within a same specified RF frequency range within which the other satellite is configured to transmit a plurality of RF service downlink beams, thereby eliminating any need for the other satellite to perform any frequency conversions when producing the plurality of RF service downlink beams in dependence on the optical ISL beam.