In one embodiment, a communicating device (e.g., either a ground station server or a particular distributed module of a satellite communication system) mitigates congestion on a particular return communication path via an intermediate satellite from the plurality of distributed modules to the ground station server. In particular, in response to determining that the level of congestion is above a threshold, then the communication device mitigates the congestion by, e.g., one or both of either a) determining an uncongested return communication path from a particular distributed module to the ground station server, ensuring that the uncongested return communication path would not interfere with any unintended receiver, and then causing the particular distributed module to use the uncongested return communication path, and b) enforcing one or more communication restrictions on a utilized return communication path to reduce the effect of a communication on the overall congestion of the utilized return communication path.