A communications network, comprising: a beam manager configured to form, using an antenna array implemented on one or more satellites, a plurality of discovery beams within a geographic area, each discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams formed by a corresponding antenna subarray of the antenna array, wherein the antenna subarrays of the antenna array are deployed in a space orbit, wherein each antenna subarray of the antenna subarrays comprises a respective set of evenly distributed antennas, and wherein a distance between adjacent antenna subarrays of the antenna array is different across the antenna array; a signal detector configured to: detect, using a first discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams, a first preamble transmitted from a first terminal, wherein the first discovery beam is formed using a first antenna subarray of the antenna array and comprises a first discovery area within the geographic area, and detect, using a second discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams, a second preamble transmitted from a second terminal, wherein the second discovery beam is formed using a second antenna subarray of the antenna array and comprises a second discovery area within the geographic area; a positioning component configured to determine a presence of the first terminal in the first discovery area based at least in part on detecting the first preamble and a presence of the second terminal in the second discovery area based at least in part on detecting the second preamble, wherein the beam manager is further configured to process, based at least in part on determining the presence of the first terminal in the first discovery area, a plurality of signals (335, 435) transmitted from the first terminal and detected at the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray according to beam coefficients to obtain a beam signal (375, 475) of a communication beam, the communication beam comprising a beam coverage area within the first discovery area that includes a position of the first terminal within the first discovery area, each detected signal (335, 435) of the plurality of signals (335, 435) comprising a respective component of a communication signal transmitted by the first terminal, and wherein a quantity of antennas distributed across the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray that detect the plurality of signals (335, 435) is greater than a quantity of antennas at the first antenna subarray used to form the first discovery beam. a beam manager configured to form, using an antenna array implemented on one or more satellites, a plurality of discovery beams within a geographic area, each discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams formed by a corresponding antenna subarray of the antenna array, wherein the antenna subarrays of the antenna array are deployed in a space orbit, wherein each antenna subarray of the antenna subarrays comprises a respective set of evenly distributed antennas, and wherein a distance between adjacent antenna subarrays of the antenna array is different across the antenna array; a signal detector configured to: detect, using a first discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams, a first preamble transmitted from a first terminal, wherein the first discovery beam is formed using a first antenna subarray of the antenna array and comprises a first discovery area within the geographic area, and detect, using a second discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams, a second preamble transmitted from a second terminal, wherein the second discovery beam is formed using a second antenna subarray of the antenna array and comprises a second discovery area within the geographic area; detect, using a first discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams, a first preamble transmitted from a first terminal, wherein the first discovery beam is formed using a first antenna subarray of the antenna array and comprises a first discovery area within the geographic area, and detect, using a second discovery beam of the plurality of discovery beams, a second preamble transmitted from a second terminal, wherein the second discovery beam is formed using a second antenna subarray of the antenna array and comprises a second discovery area within the geographic area; a positioning component configured to determine a presence of the first terminal in the first discovery area based at least in part on detecting the first preamble and a presence of the second terminal in the second discovery area based at least in part on detecting the second preamble, wherein the beam manager is further configured to process, based at least in part on determining the presence of the first terminal in the first discovery area, a plurality of signals (335, 435) transmitted from the first terminal and detected at the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray according to beam coefficients to obtain a beam signal (375, 475) of a communication beam, the communication beam comprising a beam coverage area within the first discovery area that includes a position of the first terminal within the first discovery area, each detected signal (335, 435) of the plurality of signals (335, 435) comprising a respective component of a communication signal transmitted by the first terminal, and wherein a quantity of antennas distributed across the first antenna subarray and the second antenna subarray that detect the plurality of signals (335, 435) is greater than a quantity of antennas at the first antenna subarray used to form the first discovery beam.