The present invention discloses a dual function satellite imaging and communication system (10, 40, 50, 60) using a solid state mass data storage device (30) which generates and stores image data at a relatively low data rate and subsequently transmits the data at a significantly higher data rate. The dual function imaging and communication system (10, 40, 50, 60), which may be incorporated as a body mounted payload of an imaging satellite, provides a single antenna or aperture (28, 54, 62) to perform both the imaging and communication functions and simplify the imaging and communication systems of the imaging satellite by eliminating the requirement for a separately gimballed antenna and/or aperture for each system. Further, the present invention is designed to operate in a low duty cycle mode to minimize its power supply requirements. In short, the present invention combines and simplifies the imaging and communication systems of an imaging satellite to reduce the weight of the payload and, at the same time, improve the reliability.