Abstract: A spaced based local area network system for providing dynamically allocated downlink services for spacecraft in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. The system includes at least two client satellites which host an inter-satellite communications payload; a hub satellite which hosts an inter-satellite communications payload, a downlink communications payload, and an aggregator payload; and a ground station which transmits data to and receives data from the hub satellite. The hub satellite, using the aggregator payload, aggregates at least two data flows received from the at least two client satellites over an inter-satellite link, by the inter-satellite communications payload, into a data stream that is downlinked to the ground station, using the downlink communications payload, over a space-to-ground link.

Abstract: Techniques for redirecting a satellite antenna beam from a satellite antenna of a satellite in an inclined orbit to a preferred satellite antenna beam pointing position on the earth are provided. Satellite antenna maneuver data is computed based upon information associated with the satellite, such as telemetry, orbital, and antenna nominal pointing information. Command code sequences are then generated that correspond to the maneuver data. The command codes are executable at the inclined orbit satellite to modify the antenna position. The generated command codes are then transmitted to the inclined orbit satellite to redirect the satellite antenna beam center to the preferred position.

Abstract: A decoding method and apparatus, using the Viterbi algorithm for selecting survivor paths terminating on each trellis state, applied for realization of a shared channel decoder (SCD). The shared channel decoder include a branch metric calculator for calculating branch metrics Bt, a plurality of ACS units for computing and exchanging new path metrics &Ggr;t and survivor paths Et, a memory (RAM) for storing new path metrics &Ggr;t and survivor paths Et, and a memory (RAM) for storing previous path metrics &Ggr;t−1 and previous survivor paths Et−1. The branch metrics Bt is the set of branch metrics for decoding step t (e.g., for a code rate of ½, Bt={Bt,00, Bt,01, Bt,10, Bt,11}), the path metrics &Ggr;t is the set of S survivor metrics {&ggr;t,1, &ggr;t,2, . . . , &ggr;S} at decoding step t and the survivor paths Et is the set of S survivor metrics {Et,1,Et,2, . . . , Et,S} where S is the number of decoder states.