A method and apparatus for operating a satellite system including different satellites that may belong to different types of satellite constellations. In some implementations, the satellite system may include a LEO satellite constellation and one or more non-LEO satellite constellations that can be used to increase the forward link capacity of the LEO satellite constellation, for example, by allowing an LEO satellite to offload at least some of its forward link traffic to one of the non-LEO satellites. The user terminals can dynamically switch forward link communications between a LEO satellite and a non-LEO satellite while maintaining a return link connection with the LEO satellite.