Abstract: There is provided a technique for implementing instantly responsive communication flexibly by setting communication occasions in an on-demand manner that are not included in a communication plan scheduled in advance for inter-satellite optical communication. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a satellite including an optical signal obtainer that captures an optical beacon transmitted from a relay satellite in response to a communication request received from an earth station, an image processor that retrieves a bright spot in a captured image frame, an optical beacon detector that detects the optical beacon based on a flickering state of the retrieved bright spot, and an optical communicator that establishes inter-satellite optical communication with the relay satellite based on the detected optical beacon.

Abstract: A communication control apparatus controls optical communication between a communication relay satellite and plural user satellites such that, when the communication relay satellite relays communication between the plural user satellites and other equipment, a sum of data rates representing communication rates per unit time between the plural user satellites and the communication relay satellite is not greater than a limit value of a data rate between the communication relay satellite and the other equipment.

Abstract: There is provided a technique for achieving inter-satellite optical communication for a satellite having a limited calculation capability. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an earth station, including: a data acquisition unit that acquires a predicted orbit data sequence indicative of a predictive ephemeris of a satellite for a predetermined period, and a communication unit that transmits the acquired predicted orbit data sequence to a relay satellite, wherein the data acquisition unit acquires a first data sequence that is the predicted orbit data sequence having a first data amount and a second data sequence that is the predicted orbit data sequence having a second data amount smaller than the first data amount, and the communication unit transmits the first data sequence or the second data sequence as orbit information of a satellite to a relay satellite, the first data sequence or the second data sequence selected in accordance with predetermined selection criteria.

Abstract: A communication control apparatus controls optical communication between a communication relay satellite and plural user satellites such that, when the communication relay satellite relays communication between the plural user satellites and other equipment, a sum of data rates/representing communication rates per unit time between the plural user satellites and the communication relay satellite is not greater than a limit value of a data rate between the communication relay satellite and the other equipment.

Abstract: A communication planning device according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an orbit prediction unit that predicts the orbit of a relay satellite that relays communication between a satellite having an optical communication unit and an earth station; and a creation unit that creates, on the basis of the predicted orbit, control information for controlling the optical communication unit so that the optical communication unit is directed to and tracks the relay satellite in a non-planning communication period.

Abstract: There is provided a technique for implementing instantly responsive communication flexibly by setting communication occasions in an on-demand manner that are not included in a communication plan scheduled in advance for inter-satellite optical communication. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a satellite including an optical signal obtainer that captures an optical beacon transmitted from a relay satellite in response to a communication request received from an earth station, an image processor that retrieves a bright spot in a captured image frame, an optical beacon detector that detects the optical beacon based on a flickering state of the retrieved bright spot, and an optical communicator that establishes inter-satellite optical communication with the relay satellite based on the detected optical beacon.

Abstract: A communication control apparatus controls optical communication between a communication relay satellite and plural user satellites such that, when the communication relay satellite relays communication between the plural user satellites and other equipment, a sum of data rates/representing communication rates per unit time between the plural user satellites and the communication relay satellite is not greater than a limit value of a data rate between the communication relay satellite and the other equipment.