Abstract: A solar array system associated with a spacecraft includes a solar array blanket portion moveable from a stowed configuration into a deployed configuration, an extendable frame coupled to the spacecraft and the blanket portion and moveable from at least a collapsed configuration into an extended configuration to move the solar array blanket portion from the stowed configuration into the deployed configuration, and at least one biasing member extending across an exterior portion of a first hinge assembly that is configured to bias at least a portion of the extendable frame into the deployed configuration.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory media are provided for low latency handovers. An example method can include receiving, by a satellite, a schedule of communications between the satellite and one or more gateways; requesting, based on the schedule, a handover from a link between the satellite and a gateway to a different link between the satellite and the gateway or a different gateway; prior to a completion of the handover, processing packets bicasted over the link between the satellite and the gateway and the different link between the satellite and the gateway or the different gateway; performing the handover from the link between the satellite and the gateway to the different link between the satellite and the gateway or the different gateway; and after the handover, transmitting, by the satellite, one or more packets via the different link between the satellite and the gateway or the different gateway.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a device for detecting a zone of communication between a user terminal and a satellite constellation including a plurality of satellites in non-geosynchronous (non-GEO) orbit includes one or more processors and memory. The memory stores instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to: determine a location of the device, wherein the location corresponds to a field of regard for detecting the zone of communication, and wherein the field of regard corresponds to an antenna aperture of the phased array antenna; evaluate a level of communication between the phased array antenna and the satellite constellation associated with the field of regard; and output, to a user of the device, an indication of the level of communication between the phased array antenna and the satellite constellation associated with the field of regard.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory media are provided for timing half-duplex transmissions in a wireless communication system. An example method can include receiving, by a user terminal (UT), a radio frame transmitted by a satellite to a group of UTs; identifying an offset delay defined in the radio frame for scheduling transmissions between the satellite and each UT in the group of UTs, the offset delay providing non-overlapping time intervals for receive, process, and transmit operations at each UT; determining, based on the offset delay and a time when the radio frame was received by the UT, a time for transmitting an uplink radio burst to the satellite, wherein the uplink radio burst transmitted at the time is estimated to arrive at the satellite within a same radio frame interval as uplink radio bursts from other UTs; and transmitting, to the satellite, the uplink radio burst at the time.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a satellite communication system includes a satellite constellation including a plurality of satellites in non-geosynchronous orbit (non-GEO), wherein at least some of the plurality of satellites travel in a first orbital path at a first inclination, and an end point terminal having an earth-based geographic location, the end point terminal having an antenna system defining a field of regard for communicating with the satellite constellation, wherein the field of regard is a limited field of regard, wherein the field of regard is tilted from a non-tilted position to a tilted position, and wherein the tilt angle of the tilted position is a function of the latitude of the geographic location.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a pan/tilt assembly for an antenna apparatus having a housing enclosing antenna components and a leg extending from the housing includes a first actuator for rotating a first gear, a second actuator for rotating a second gear, a third gear coupled to the leg and engaged by the first and second gears, and a tee having a first portion substantially transverse to a second portion, wherein the first portion has a first end rotatably received within the first gear and a second end rotatably received within the second gear, and wherein the second portion is rotatably received within the third gear.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a waveguide assembly includes a first waveguide portion having a first end, a second end, and a first waveguide channel extending between the first end and the second end, and a second waveguide portion having a first end, a second end, and a second waveguide channel extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion are configured to connect such that the first waveguide channel and the second waveguide channel form a combined channel, wherein the combined channel includes a gap interface between the first waveguide channel and the second waveguide channel.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a parabolic antenna assembly includes a main reflector, a feed system in RF communication with the main reflector including a horn and a dielectric portion, and a sub-reflector in RF communication with the feed assembly, wherein the sub-reflector includes a body portion and a stem portion mechanically coupled to one another, wherein a reflecting surface of the sub-reflector is defined by at least a portion of the body portion and at least a portion of the stem portion, wherein the dielectric portion spaces the sub-reflector from the horn, and wherein the sub-reflector includes an axially-symmetric choke for providing virtual continuity at the reflecting surface.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an antenna assembly, a modem, and a beam steering controller. A beam steering controller is configured to determine a beam pointing direction of the antenna assembly to be able to one or both of switch a first communication link with a first satellite to a second communication link with a second satellite or establish and maintain the first communication link with the first satellite. At a start of a determination of the beam pointing direction, one or more of an orientation of the antenna assembly is unknown, positions of a plurality of satellites are unknown, or downlink frequencies of the plurality of satellites are unknown.

Abstract: A method of releasing spacecraft from a rocket includes arranging spacecraft in a stack on a rocket, launching the rocket until it attains orbital velocity, imposing a flat spin on the rocket, and releasing the entire stack from the rocket during the flat spin. In one aspect, the method includes applying a compressive load along a length of the stack, launching the rocket until it attains orbital velocity, imposing a flat spin on the rocket, and releasing the compressive load to allow the entire stack to separate from the rocket during the flat spin.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first layer having a first plurality of electrically conductive traces comprising a first portion of a plurality of hierarchical networks; a second layer having a second plurality of electrically conductive traces comprising a second portion of the plurality of hierarchical networks; and a plurality of vias electrically connecting the first plurality of electrically conductive traces of the first layer to the respective second plurality of electrically conductive traces of the second layer to define the plurality of hierarchical networks. The first plurality of electrically conductive traces is orientated in a first direction and the second plurality of electrically conductive traces is orientated in a second direction different from the first direction.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a device is included in a communications system, the device including a plurality of antenna elements configured in a phased array antenna; a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) chips, wherein each IC chip of the plurality of IC chips is associated with a respective subset of antenna elements of the plurality of antenna elements, and wherein, for each IC chip of the plurality of IC chips, the associated subset of antenna elements is used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals by the IC chip; and a local oscillator configured to generate a common local oscillator signal and provide the common local oscillator signal to each IC chip of the plurality of IC chips.

Abstract: An integrated signal chain includes a waveguide network defined by first and second waveguide layers forming a waveguide stack. A first transmit waveguide channel (WGC) is configured to communicate first transmit electromagnetic signals from a first transmit port to an antenna feed port, and a first receive WGC is configured to communicate first receive electromagnetic signals from the antenna feed port to a first receive port. A transmit module is attached to an exterior side of the first waveguide layer, and the first transmit WGC couples the transmit module to the antenna. A receive module is attached to the exterior side of the first waveguide layer, and the first receive WGC couples the antenna to the receive module. A modem may be included. A thermal management assembly can be configured to dissipate heat from the modem, the receive module, and/or the transmit module.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna assembly includes a patch antenna array including an upper patch antenna layer, a lower patch antenna layer, and a spacer therebetween, wherein the spacer includes a plurality of apertures defined by cell walls, wherein the each aperture aligns with an upper patch antenna element and a lower patent antenna element from the patch antenna array.

Abstract: A spacecraft chassis includes a chassis body defined by first and second opposing sides bound by a perimeter, wherein at least one heat-generating component is configured to be secured directly to the chassis body, and at least one heat dissipating feature configured to radiate heat generated from the at least one heat-generating component into outer space.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a receiver included in a communications system includes a channel extractor configured to segregate a received signal into a plurality of channel signals, wherein the plurality of channel signals includes a plurality of data signals; and a plurality of decoders electrically coupled to the channel extractor and configured to decode each of the plurality of channel signals into a respective plurality of decoded data beam portions.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a digital beamforming section. The digital beamforming section is configured to encode each data beam of a first plurality of data beams of a first channel with a first plurality of respective time delays and phases to generate an encoded first plurality of data beams and encode each data beam of a second plurality of data beams of a second channel with a second plurality of respective time delays and phases to generate an encoded second plurality of data beams. The second plurality of data beams is different from the first plurality of data beams. The apparatus includes a channel combiner, electrically coupled to the digital beamforming section, and configured to generate a combined channel comprising an aggregation of at least a portion of the encoded first plurality of data beams and at least a portion of the encoded second plurality of data beams.