Coherent power combining via wavefront multiplexing on deep space spacecraft

摘要

A communication system and method for a deep space spacecraft receiver to perform post-processing to dynamically combine received signal power coherently for pre-processed signal streams radiated non-coherently from a distributed, multiple element, Ka-band transmitting array via multiple concurrent propagation paths. Mutually orthogonal data and pilot signals travel though the multiple propagation paths. A pre-processor utilizing wavefront multiplexing restructures signal streams on the ground into multi-channel wavefrom structures along with injections of pilot signals for diagnostic and probing purposes. These restructured, or “wavefront multiplexed” (WFM) signals are transmitted through propagation channels to a receiver on the spacecraft, wherein adaptive equalization and wavefront de-multiplexing coherently separates the mixtures of received WFM signals. Transmitting power can be dynamically allocated for the multiple concurrent data streams, radiated to different spacecraft within the same field of view according to continuously changing demand by changing the relative input power ratios of the WFM signal mixtures.

主权项

1. A method for communicating between an earth ground segment at a transmitting side and a spacecraft at a receiving side, comprising:
performing a wavefront multiplexing transformation, at said transmitting side, on multiple data sub-streams and a probing signal stream into multiple wavefront multiplexed (WFM) transmission streams; amplifying, at said transmitting side, said WFM transmission streams; radiating, at said transmitting side, said amplified WFM transmission streams toward said spacecraft; orienting said spacecraft to receive said radiated WFM transmission streams at said receiving side; after said orienting said spacecraft to receive said radiated WFM transmission streams, equalizing, at said receiving side, propagation paths of said WFM transmission streams; and after said equalizing said propagation paths of said WFM transmission streams, recovering, at said receiving side, said data sub-streams and probing signal stream from said WFM transmission streams.