US 12,224,799 B1
Solar irradiance mitigation in satellite optical communication
Matthew Henry Rosenbrock, Livermore, CA (US); Neil Evan Goodzeit, Devon, PA (US); Harald J. Weigl, Centennial, CO (US); and Joseph F. Eder, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION, Bethesda, MD (US)
Filed by Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/539,391.
Application 18/539,391 is a continuation of application No. 17/711,154, filed on Apr. 1, 2022, granted, now 11,888,519.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 10/00 (2013.01); H04B 7/185 (2006.01); H04B 10/118 (2013.01)
CPC H04B 10/118 (2013.01) [H04B 7/18521 (2013.01); H04B 7/18547 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
in a first satellite among a constellation of satellites, establishing an optical communication link with a second satellite among the constellation of satellites;
in the first satellite, determining an angular state of the optical communication link resultant from orbital motion of the first satellite with respect to the second satellite;
responsive to the angular state reaching an exclusion range established to avoid obscuration of the optical communication link from solar incidence, in the first satellite, initiating a subsequent optical communication link with a third satellite among the constellation of satellites that avoids aiming optics to within the exclusion range.