GLOBAL MULTI-SATELLITE NETWORK

摘要

A global satellite communication network is described. The global satellite communication network comprises a plurality of polar communication loops and a plurality of longitudinal communication loops. The polar and longitudinal communication loops are formed in three dimensional space. Each polar communication loop includes a plurality of nodes each bidirectionally communicating with adjacent communicating nodes in the polar communication loops. Each longitudinal communication loop includes a plurality of nodes each bidirectionally communicating with adjacent communicating nodes in the longitudinal communication loops. Each longitudinal communication loop is in communication with each polar communication loop via a node which is common to both the longitudinal communication loop and the polar communication loop. The common node includes a switch to transfer packets received from the polar communication loop to the longitudinal communication loop, and vice versa, as a function of destination addresses contained in the packets.