Abstract: A method for protecting communications between an aircraft and a spacecraft in outer space including flying the aircraft in the earth's atmosphere at an altitude above 40,000 feet from the earth, and preferably above 50,000 feet, and transmitting a signal from the aircraft to the spacecraft having a frequency within a range of 50-70 GHz. The method includes selecting the frequency of the signal based on the altitude of the aircraft and the elevation angle between the spacecraft the aircraft.

Abstract: A method for protecting communications between an aircraft and a spacecraft in outer space including flying the aircraft in the earth's atmosphere at an altitude above 40,000 feet from the earth, and preferably above 50,000 feet, and transmitting a signal from the aircraft to the spacecraft having a frequency within a range of 50-70 GHz. The method includes selecting the frequency of the signal based on the altitude of the aircraft and the elevation angle between the spacecraft the aircraft.

Abstract: A payload (108) to be mounted onto a satellite (102) can include a first steerable antenna (302) providing a downlink to and an uplink from a first user terminal; a second steerable antenna (304) providing a downlink to and an uplink from a second user terminal; a switching network (306) coupling the first steerable antenna to the second steerable antenna; and a payload control unit (120) controlling the switching network to select one of the downlink to the first user terminal provided by the first steerable antenna and the downlink to the second user terminal provided by the second steerable antenna, and one of the uplink from the first user terminal provided by the first steerable antenna and the uplink from the second user terminal provided by the second steerable antenna.

Abstract: A payload (108) to be mounted onto a satellite (102) can include a first steerable antenna (302) providing a downlink to and an uplink from a first user terminal; a second steerable antenna (304) providing a downlink to and an uplink from a second user terminal; a switching network (306) coupling the first steerable antenna to the second steerable antenna; and a payload control unit (120) controlling the switching network to select one of the downlink to the first user terminal provided by the first steerable antenna and the downlink to the second user terminal provided by the second steerable antenna, and one of the uplink from the first user terminal provided by the first steerable antenna and the uplink from the second user terminal provided by the second steerable antenna.

Abstract: A satellite communication system (10) includes apparatus for exchanging communication data between ground-based user sites (21-24, 41-44 and 51-54) and a ground-based wideband network (60). A communication satellite (30) exchanges user communication data with the user sites. Ground-based hub terminals (27, 35, 47 and 57) exchange the user communication data with the satellite (30) and also exchange the data with the network (60). A communication manager (70) determines the communication requirements between the satellite and the network and identifies more than one hub terminal to exchange user communication data with the satellite in the event that one hub terminal is insufficient to meet the communication requirements.

Abstract: A method (100) and apparatus (400) for encoding and decoding data in a signal using notch depth modulation. The method (100) of data to be encoded in the signal. The method then notch filters (125) the signal according to the frequency notch representation of the data. The apparatus (400) for encoding data comprises an digitizer (405) to digitize the signal. A code former (420) provides the data to be encoded in the signal. A notch filter (430) notch filters the signal according to the data. Decoding the data converts the signal into a frequency domain representation (520) and determines the notch spectral content (525) of the signal at selected notch frequencies. The method (500) establishes notch thresholds (534) at each of the selected notch frequencies, then decodes the data (540) from the signal by comparing the notch spectral content to the notch thresholds.

Abstract: A satellite communication system (10) includes apparatus for exchanging communication data between ground-based user sites (21-24, 41-44 and 51-54) and a ground-based wideband network (60). A communication satellite (30) exchanges user communication data with the user sites. Ground-based hub terminals (27, 35, 47 and 57) exchange the user communication data with the satellite (30) and also exchange the data with the network (60). A communication manager (70) determines the communication requirements between the satellite and the network and identifies more than one hub terminal to exchange user communication data with the satellite in the event that one hub terminal is insufficient to meet the communication requirements.

Abstract: A GSO satellite constellation (10) and an NGSO constellation (20) may be used to send various types of communication signals and multimedia signals to an aircraft (30). The video signals are demodulated by a demodulator (46) and routed by a router (64) to TV monitors (72 and 74), as well as short-term video storage (78). Data can be received and transmitted by a low gain, narrowband transmitter/receiver (100) in order to provide voice, computer and control communications at all times during the flight of aircraft (30).