Revolutionary next generation satellite communications architectures and systems

This paper describes possible revolutionary next generation communications satellite missions and architectures. The satellite communications evolutionary background, current GSO´s (geostationary orbit satellites), `Little´, `Big´ and `Broadband´ NGSO´s (non-GSO´s), and enabling satellite technologies are briefly discussed. Converging technological and economic forces will drive us inevitably to the next decade´s communication satellite systems and network architectures. The increasing pace of new capabilities, Moore´s law, and the convergence of key technologies over the next few years provide the next generation satellite revolution `push´, while the global and local commercial communications demand and economics, orbit slot and spectrum scarcity, rapidly dropping communications costs, privatization, multiple market entries and competitive shakeouts provide the `pull´. The result of these forces is a rapid evolution of communications satellites and network architectures that will depart significantly from today´s GSO and NGSO systems. The revolutionary next generation architectural paradigms for distributed space systems is described. New system architectures are predicted for GSO´s (virtual satellite clusters), NGSO´s (multi-mission, hybrid payload constellations, clusters), and the likely next big waves: interlinked hybrid networks, station-keeping, stratospheric platforms (aerostats), micro-nanosatellites and trends towards clusters of large area satellites