Abstract: A communication system comprising a satellite, a master earth station (MES), and a plurality of small earth stations (SESs) provides signal transmissions addressed and transmittable to a selectable other SES via the satellite, the MES, and then the satellite again. The signal transmissions consist of bit representing pseudo random sequence (PRS) signals PRS.sub.SES which in turn consist of chips arranged in predetermined and identifiable patterns and with the bit and chip occurrence rates C.sub.SES and B.sub.SES of each SES being synchronized with each other as they arrive at the MES. The satellite responds to the signal transmissions from the SESs to retransmit the signal transmissions to the MES, which in turn responds to the signal transmissions from the satellite to amplify and retransmit such signal transmissions back to the satellite again. The satellite again responds to the signal transmissions from the MES to retransmit them to the SESs.

Abstract: In a data communication system including a plurality of small earth stations (SES), a satellite, and a master earth station (MES), a method of transmitting signal transmissions, each consisting of a series of bit representing pseudo random sequences (PRS), each consisting of N time synchronous chips between the SESs. The steps of the method include generating at selected SESs a stream of PRS signals having bit and chip rates B.sub.SES and C.sub.SES and having pause periods that occur periodically in the stream of PRS signals, transmitting the PRS signals via the satellite to the MES as a single composite signal, B.sub.SES, determining if each B.sub.SES, C.sub.SES and the pause periods of all of the PRS signals from the SESs are in common phase synchronization with each other as they arrive at the MES, generating an error correction code (ECC) which defines the amount and direction of phase deviation of any of B.sub.SES, C.sub.