Patent ID: 6397039
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A communication system, comprising:a plurality of spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit, each spacecraft providing a plurality of beams on the surface of the earth; and a plurality of ground stations individual ones of which are located in one of said beams for transmitting uplink signals to one of said spacecraft; wherein each spacecraft is comprised of a plurality of receivers for receiving a plurality of the uplinked signals from ground stations, a frequency translator for translating the received uplink signals to a transmission frequency of a plurality of downlink signals, a plurality of channel amplifiers, each channel amplifier being separately gain controlled by a corresponding one of the ground stations, and a plurality of transmitters for transmitting the plurality of downlink signals within the same beams as the corresponding uplink signals; and wherein each said transmitter is comprised of a combiner for combining together a plurality of frequency translated input signals and a power amplifier for amplifying the combined plurality of frequency translated input signals, each said transmitter using the same type and size of amplifier.