Orthogonal CDMA (OCDMA) in the return link of a satellite based communications system provides improved bandwidth efficiencies; increased ability to overcome channel degrading phenomenon; reduced transmission power; or various combinations thereof. By achieving code synchronization needed for advantageous use of OCDMA in the return link of a satellite based communication system, a plurality of terminals, each with a unique time slot/code channel assignment, may transmit concurrently, with the same, or lower, aggregate power as would be used by a single terminal using TDMA. Use of OCDMA in the return link allows one or more terminals, each in a common beam and assigned a common time slot, to transmit at a higher transmission power to overcome channel degradation effects. The ability to allow for higher transmission power for a particular terminal can increase the effective data rate for that terminal by enabling the use of a higher order modulation technique.