Tracking Non-Geo Synchronous Orbit satellites on orbiting planes of regular motion patterns

1. A method for tracking Non-Geo Synchronous Orbit Satellites on Orbiting Planes of Regular Motion Patterns, the method comprising:

providing a first satellites moving in a direction descending in latitude in first orbital planes and a second satellites moving in a direction ascending in latitude in second orbital planes;

steering an antenna to an antenna tilt φ from normal with a single axis mechanism lined up with a first axis;

scanning, electronically, with a linear array at a scan angle ψ along a second axis;

locking to a signal from a handed-from satellite from a first satellites; and

selecting a handed-to satellite from the second satellites,

wherein the handed-from satellite and the handed-to satellite are Line-of-sight (LOS) from the antenna at an instant of a hand-off,

the first axis is angled from the second axis,

the steering along the first axis and the scanning along the second axis jointly track the handed-from satellite,

the first orbits are parallel,

the second orbits are parallel, and

the first orbits seem aligned with the antenna tilt φ.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the antenna tilt φ for the steering and the scan angle Ψ for the scanning for a particular time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating, periodically, the antenna tilt φ for the steering and the scan angle Ψ for the scanning.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antenna tilt φ and the scan angle Ψ are calculated based on azimuth and elevation angles used in locating a celestial object from the earth surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear array is disposed at a center-fed focal point or an offset from the center-fed focal point of the antenna.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the direction ascending in latitude is opposite the direction descending in latitude.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a LOS calculation of the handed-from satellite is based on a tilt range and a scan angle range of the antenna.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the instant when an antenna tilt φ′ from normal of the handed-to satellite is equal to the antenna tilt φ from normal of the handed-from satellite;

calculating a scan angle Ψ′ for the handed-to satellite at the instant; and

setting, at the instant, the scan angle Ψ to the scan angle Ψ′ to perform the handoff from the handed-from satellite to the handed-to satellite.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting selects from one or more satellites of the second satellites that are LOS of the antenna based on a tilt range and a scan angle range of the antenna, and selects a furthest satellite, from the antenna, from the one or more satellites of the second satellites.

11. A system to track Non-Geo Synchronous Orbit Satellites on Orbiting Planes of Regular Motion Patterns, the system comprising:

a first satellites moving in a direction descending in latitude in first orbits;

a second satellites moving in a direction ascending in latitude in second orbits;

an antenna to steer the antenna to an antenna tilt φ from normal with a single axis mechanism lined up with a first axis;

a linear array to scan, electronically, at a scan angle Ψ along a second axis; and

a receiver to lock to a signal from a handed-from satellite from the first satellites and to select a handed-to satellite from the second satellites,

wherein the handed-from satellite and the handed-to satellite are Line-of-sight (LOS) from the antenna at an instant of a hand-off,

the first axis is angled from the second axis,

the antenna steers along the first axis and the linear array scans along the second axis to jointly track the handed-from satellite,

the first orbits are parallel,

the second orbits are parallel, and

the first orbits seem aligned with the antenna tilt φ.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first axis is orthogonal to the second axis.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the receiver receives the antenna tilt φ for the steering and the scan angle Ψ for the scanning for a particular time period.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising the receiver calculates, periodically, the antenna tilt φ for the steering and the scan angle Ψ for the scanning.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the antenna tilt φ and the scan angle Ψ are calculated based on azimuth and elevation angles used in locating a celestial object from the earth surface.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the linear array is disposed at a center-fed focal point or an offset from the center-fed focal point of the antenna.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the direction ascending in latitude is opposite the direction descending in latitude.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein a LOS calculation of the handed-from satellite is based on a tilt range and a scan angle range of the antenna.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the receiver is further configured to:

determine the instant when an antenna tilt φ′ from normal of the handed-to satellite is equal to the antenna tilt φ from normal of the handed-from satellite;

calculate a scan angle Ψ′ for the handed-to satellite at the instant; and

set, at the instant, the scan angle Ψ to the scan angle Ψ′ to perform the handoff from the handed-from satellite to the handed-to satellite.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the receiver selects from one or more satellites of the second satellites that are LOS of the antenna based on a tilt range and a scan angle range of the antenna, and selects a furthest satellite, from the antenna, from the one or more satellites of the second satellites.