Abstract: A satellite signal identification system utilizes distinguishable unique coded identifiers impressed on a carrier sent from a transmitting ground station to be identified. The identifier is recieved and identified by the receiving station to specifically identify a particular underlying carrier signal for reception. The invention utilizes a data modem for transmitting to an earth relay satellite coded identification signals together with various data and error correcting information. An IF carrier signal may be combined with video and/or audio signals, such combined signals being relayed via satellite to the ground station. The MPU of a modem in the ground station finds its counterpart in the MPU of the downconverter that receives via a block downconverter the data, housekeeping and ID signals after the video has been removed. The downconverter first translates the satellite transponder frequency to an IF frequency and sequentially searches for a carrier and the PSK code.