2 research outputs found
Satellite Clustering for Non-Terrestrial Networks: Concept, Architectures, and Applications
Recently, mega-constellations with a massive number of low Earth orbit (LEO)
satellites are being considered as a possible solution for providing global
coverage due to relatively low latency and high throughput compared to
geosynchronous orbit satellites. However, as the number of satellites and
operators participating in the LEO constellation increases, inter-satellite
interference will become more severe, which may yield marginal improvement or
even decrement in network throughput. In this article, we introduce the concept
of satellite clusters that can enhance network performance through satellites'
cooperative transmissions. The characteristics, formation types, and
transmission schemes for the satellite clusters are highlighted. Simulation
results evaluate the impact of clustering from coverage and capacity
perspectives, showing that when the number of satellites is large, the
performance of clustered networks outperforms the unclustered ones. The viable
network architectures of the satellite cluster are proposed based on the 3GPP
standard. Finally, the future applications of clustered satellite networks are
discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, submitted to IEEE Vehicular Technology
Magazin