Method and apparatus for synchronizing communications in a satellite based telecommunications system

A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining synchronous return and forward communications links between user terminals and earth stations communicating via a common satellite in a satellite based telecommunications system. Each user terminal maintains a closed synchronization loop with its associated earth station based on timing and frequency error offset signals received by the user terminals. The user terminals update their internal timing and frequency generators based on the received error offset signals. In an earth station sharing embodiment, one of the earth stations is designated as a master earth station while the remaining stations are designated as slave earth stations with respect to a common satellite. The slave earth stations monitor a return link between at least one user terminal and the master earth station. The slave earth stations update their internal reference timing and frequency signal generators, in order to remain synchronous with the return link between the monitored user terminal and the master earth station. The slave earth stations maintained synchronous forward links by requesting synchronization update information from the monitored user terminal. Upon receiving a request, the monitored user terminal calculates a difference in timing and frequency between frames received from the requesting slave and associated master earth stations. The user terminal transmits the difference in timing and frequency along its return link. The slave earth station updates its forward link timing and frequency reference signal generators to remain synchronous with the master earth station.