A Parallel Discrete Event Simulation Engine for the Low-Earth-Orbit Satellite Constellation Networks

Low-Earth-Orbit satellite constellation networks(LEO-SCN)can provide low-cost,largescale,flexible coverage wireless communication services.High dynamics and large topological sizes characterize LEO-SCN.Protocol development and application testing of LEO-SCN are challenging to carry out in a natural environment.Simulation platforms are a more effective means of technology demonstration.Currently available simulators have a single function and limited simulation scale.There needs to be a simulator for full-featured simulation.In this paper,we apply the parallel discrete-event simulation technique to the simulation of LEO-SCN to support large-scale complex system simulation at the packet level.To solve the problem that single-process programs cannot cope with complex simulations containing numerous entities,we propose a parallel mechanism and algorithms LP-NM and LP-YAWNS for synchronization.In the experiment,we use ns-3 to verify the acceleration ratio and efficiency of the above algorithms.The results show that our proposed mechanism can provide parallel simulation engine support for the LEO-SCN.

Spacecraft potential variations of the Swarm satellites at low Earth orbital altitudes

In this study, we provide the first detailed analysis of variations in the spacecraft potential (Vs) of the three Swarm satellites, which are flying at about 400-500 km. Unlike previous studies that have investigated extreme charging events, usually with spacecraft potentials as negative as −100 V, this study is focused on variations of Swarm Vs readings, which fall within a few negative volts. The Swarm observations show that spacecraft at low Earth orbital (LEO) altitudes are charged only slightly negatively, varying between −7 V and 0 V, with the majority of recorded potentials at these altitudes clustering close to −2 V. However, a second peak of Vs data is found at −5.5 V, though the event numbers for these more-negative observations are less, by an order of magnitude, than for incidents near the −2 V peak. These two distinct Vs peaks suggest two different causes. We have thus divided the Swarm spacecraft Vs data into two categories: less-negatively charged (−5 < Vs < 0 V) and more-negatively-charged (−6.5 < Vs < −5 V). These two Vs categories exhibit different spatial and temporal distributions. The Vs observations in the first category remain relatively closer to 0 V above the magnetic equator, but become much more negative at low and middle latitudes on the day side;at high latitudes, these first-category Vs readings are relatively more-negative during local summer. Second-category Vs events cluster into two bands at the middle latitudes (between ±20°-50° magnetic latitude), but with slightly more negative readings at the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) region;at high latitudes, these rarer but more-negative second-category Vs events exhibit relatively more-negative values during local winter, which is opposite to the seasonal pattern seen in the first category. By comparing Vs data to the distributions of background plasma density at Swarm altitudes, we find for the first category that more-negative Vs readings are recorded at regions with higher background plasma density, while for the second category the more-negative Vs data are observed at regions with lower background plasma density. This can be explained as follows: the electron and ion fluxes incident on Swarm surface, whose differences determine the potential of Swarm, are dominated by the background “cold” plasma (due to ionization) and “hot” plasma (due to precipitated particles from magnetosphere) for the two Vs categories, respectively.

Low Altitude Satellite Constellation for Futuristic Aerial-Ground Communications

This paper discusses the significance and prospects of low altitude small satellite aerial vehicles to ensure smooth aerial-ground communications for next-generation broadband networks.To achieve the generic goals of fifthgeneration and beyondwireless networks,the existing aerial network architecture needs to be revisited.The detailed architecture of low altitude aerial networks and the challenges in resource management have been illustrated in this paper.Moreover,we have studied the coordination between promising communication technologies and low altitude aerial networks to provide robust network coverage.We talk about the techniques that can ensure userfriendly control and monitoring of the low altitude aerial networks to bring forth wireless broadband connectivity to a new dimension.In the end,we highlight the future research directions of aerial-ground communications in terms of access technologies,machine learning,compressed sensing,and quantum communications.

Delay-optimal multi-satellite collaborative computation offloading supported by OISL in LEO satellite network

By deploying the ubiquitous and reliable coverage of low Earth orbit(LEO)satellite networks using optical inter satel-lite link(OISL),computation offloading services can be provided for any users without proximal servers,while the resource limita-tion of both computation and storage on satellites is the impor-tant factor affecting the maximum task completion time.In this paper,we study a delay-optimal multi-satellite collaborative computation offloading scheme that allows satellites to actively migrate tasks among themselves by employing the high-speed OISLs,such that tasks with long queuing delay will be served as quickly as possible by utilizing idle computation resources in the neighborhood.To satisfy the delay requirement of delay-sensi-tive task,we first propose a deadline-aware task scheduling scheme in which a priority model is constructed to sort the order of tasks being served based on its deadline,and then a delay-optimal collaborative offloading scheme is derived such that the tasks which cannot be completed locally can be migrated to other idle satellites.Simulation results demonstrate the effective-ness of our multi-satellite collaborative computation offloading strategy in reducing task complement time and improving resource utilization of the LEO satellite network.

Precise orbit determination for low Earth orbit satellites using GNSS:Observations,models,and methods

Spaceborne global navigation satellite system(GNSS)has significantly revolutionized the development of autonomous orbit determination techniques for low Earth orbit satellites for decades.Using a state-of-the-art combination of GNSS observations and satellite dynamics,the absolute orbit determination for a single satellite reached a precision of 1 cm.Relative orbit determination(i.e.,precise baseline determination)for the dual satellites reached a precision of 1 mm.This paper reviews the recent advancements in GNSS products,observation processing,satellite gravitational and non-gravitational force modeling,and precise orbit determination methods.These key aspects have increased the precision of the orbit determination to fulfill the requirements of various scientific objectives.Finally,recommendations are made to further investigate multi-GNSS combinations,satellite high-fidelity geometric models,geometric offset calibration,and comprehensive orbit determination strategies for satellite constellations.

Survivability model of LEO satellite constellation based on GERT with limited backup resources

Survivability is used to evaluate the ability of the satellite to complete the mission after failure,while the duration of maintaining performance is often ignored.An effective backup strategy can restore the constellation performance timely,and maintain good network communication performance in case of satellite failure.From the perspective of network utility,the low Earth orbit(LEO)satellite constellation survivable graphical eva-luation and review technology(GERT)network with backup satel-lites is constructed.A network utility transfer function algorithm based on moment generating function and Mason formula is proposed,the network survivability evaluation models of on-orbit backup strategy and ground backup strategy are established.The survivable GERT model can deduce the expected mainte-nance time of LEO satellite constellation under different fault states and the network utility generated during the state mainte-nance period.The case analysis shows that the proposed surviv-able GERT model can consider the satellite failure rate,backup satellite replacement rate,maneuver control replacement ability and life requirement,and effectively determine the optimal sur-vivable backup strategy for LEO satellite constellation with limi-ted resources according to the expected network utility.

GNSS rapid precise point positioning enhanced by low Earth orbit satellites

The Low Earth Orbit(LEO)satellites can be used to efectively speed up Precise Point Positioning(PPP)convergence.In this study,180 LEO satellites with a global distribution are simulated to evaluate their contribution to the PPP convergence.LEO satellites can give more redundant observations and improve satellite geometric distributions,particularly for a single Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS).The convergence speed of the PPP foat solution using the Global Positioning System(GPS,G)or BeiDou Navigation Satellite System(BDS,C)single system as well as the G/C/Galileo navigation satellite system(Galileo,E)/GLObal NAvigation Satellite System(GLONASS,R)combined system with LEO satellites added is improved by 90.0%,91.0%,and 90.7%,respectively,with respect to the system without LEO satellites added.We introduced LEO observations to assist GNSS in PPP-AR(Ambiguity Resolution)and PPP-RTK(Real Time Kinematic).The success fx rate of a single system is signifcantly improved,and the Time-To-First-Fix(TTFF)of G and G/C/E is reduced by 86.4%and 82.8%,respectively,for the PPP-AR solution.We analyzed the positioning performance of LEO satellite assisted G/C/E PPP-RTK in the reference networks of diferent scales,namely diferent atmospheric delay interpolation accuracies.The success fx rate of the G/C/E combined system is improved from 86.8 to 94.9%,and the TTFF is reduced by 36.8%,with the addition of LEO satellites in the 57 km reference network.In the 110 km reference network,the success fx rate of the G/C/E combined system is improved from 64.0 to 88.6%,and the TTFF is reduced by 32.1%.GNSS PPP-RTK with adding the LEO satellites in the reference networks of diferent scales shows obvious improvement because the atmospheric correlation decreases with increasing distance from the reference networks.

Beam Position and Beam Hopping Design for LEO Satellite Communications

The numbers of beam positions(BPs)and time slots for beam hopping(BH)dominate the latency of LEO satellite communications.Aiming at minimizing the number of BPs subject to a predefined requirement on the radius of BP,a low-complexity user density-based BP design scheme is proposed,where the original problem is decomposed into two subproblems,with the first one to find the sparsest user and the second one to determine the corresponding best BP.In particular,for the second subproblem,a user selection and smallest BP radius algorithm is proposed,where the nearby users are sequentially selected until the constraint of the given BP radius is no longer satisfied.These two subproblems are iteratively solved until all the users are selected.To further reduce the BP radius,a duplicated user removal algorithm is proposed to decrease the number of the users covered by two or more BPs.Aiming at minimizing the number of time slots subject to the no co-channel interference(CCI)constraint and the traffic demand constraint,a low-complexity CCI-free BH design scheme is proposed,where the BPs having difficulty in satisfying the constraints are considered to be illuminated in priory.Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.

Resource allocation for uplink grant-free access in beam-hopping based LEO satellite systems

The low earth orbit(LEO) satellite system provides a promising solution for the global coverage of Internet of Things(IoT) services.Confronted with the sporadic uplink transmission from massive IoT terminals, this work investigates the grant-free access scheme and resource allocation algorithm for the beam-hopping(BH) based LEO satellite systems.To improve the packet success rate, the time slots are pre-allocated to each cell according to the number of terrestrial terminals and the probability of packet arrival.When the packets arrive, the terrestrial terminals perform contention-free or contention-based grant-free access with packet repetition in the time slots allocated to their cells.The analytical expression of the packet collision probability for the grant-free access scheme is derived to provide reference for the resource allocation.To reduce the computational complexity, a heuristic resource allocation algorithm is proposed to minimize the maximum cell packet collision probability in the system.Simulation results show that the proposed resource allocation scheme achieves lower packet collision probability and higher resource utilization ratio when compared with the uniform resource allocation scheme.

MULTI-CLASS TRAFFIC QOS ROUTING FOR LEO SATELLITE NETWORKS

Due to the diversified demands of quality of service（QoS） in volume multimedia application, QoS routings for multiservice are becoming a research hotspot in low earth orbit（LEO） satellite networks. A novel QoS satellite routing algorithm for multi-class traffic is proposed. The goal of the routing algorithm is to provide the distinct QoS for different traffic classes and improve the utilization of network resources. Traffic is classified into three classes and allocated priorities based on their QoS requirements, respectively. A priority queuing mechanism guarantees the algorithm to work better for high-priority classes. In order to control the congestion, a blocking probability analysis model is built up based on the Markov process theory. Finally, according to the classification link-cost metrics, routings for different classes are calculated with the distinct QoS requirments and the status of network resource. Simulations verify the performance of the routing algorithm at different time and in different regions, and results demonstrate that the algorithm has great advantages in terms of the average delay and the blocking probability. Meanwhile, the robustness issue is also discussed.

Dynamic channel reservation scheme based on priorities in LEO satellite systems

According to low earth orbit（LEO） satellite systems with users of different levels, a dynamic channel reservation scheme based on priorities is proposed. Dynamic calculation of the thresholds for reserved channels is the key of this strategy. In order to obtain the optimal thresholds, the traffic is predicted based on the high-speed deterministic movement property of LEO satellites firstly. Then, a channel allocation model based on Markov is established. Finally, the solution of the model is obtained based on the genetic algorithm. Without user location, this strategy effectively reduces handover failures and improves channel utilization by adjusting dynamically the thresholds according to traffic conditions. The simulation results show that the system＇s overall quality of service can be improved by this strategy.

A Simulator for Producing of High Flux Atomic Oxygen Beam by Using ECR Plasma Source

In order to study the atomic oxygen corrosion of spacecraft materials in low earth orbit environment, an atomic oxygen simulator was established. In the simulator, a 2.45 GHz microwave source with maximum power of 600 W was launched into the circular cavity to generate ECR (electron cyclotron resonance) plasma. The oxygen ion beam moved onto a negatively biased Mo plate under the condition of symmetry magnetic mirror field confine, then was neutralized and reflected to form oxygen atom beam. The properties of plasma density, electron temperature, plasma space potential and ion incident energy were characterized. The atomic oxygen beam flux was calibrated by measuring the mass loss rate of Kapton during the atomic oxygen exposure. The test results show that the atomic oxygen beam with flux of 1016-1017 atoms-cm-2·s-1 and energy of 5-30 eV and a cross section of φ80 mm could be obtained under the operating pressure of 10-1-10-3 Pa. Such a high flux source can provide accelerated simulation tests of materials and coatings for space applications.

Jointly Optimized Request Dispatching and Service Placement for MEC in LEO Network

Integrating Multi-access Edge Computing(MEC) in Low Earth Orbit(LEO) network is an important way to provide globally seamless low-delay service. In this paper, we consider the scenario that MEC platforms with computation and storage resource are deployed on LEO satellites, which is called "LEO-MEC". Service request dispatching decision is very important for resource utilization of the whole LEO-MEC system and Qo E of MEC users. Another important problem is service placement that is closely coupled with request dispatching. This paper models the joint service request dispatching and service placement problem as an optimization problem, which is a Mixed Integer Linear Programming(MILP). Our proposed mechanism solves this problem and uses the solved decision variables to dispatch requests and place services. Simulation results show that our proposed mechanism can achieve better performance in terms of ratio of served users and average hop count compared with baseline mechanism.

Analysis of detection capabilities of LEO reconnaissance satellite constellation based on coverage performance

In the design problem of low earth orbit(LEO) reconnaissance satellite constellation, optimization of coverage performance is the design goal in most current methods. However,in the using process, the user only concerns with the detection capabilities rather than coverage performance. To establish the relationship between these two aspects, the reconnaissance processes of normal stochastic targets are considered and the mathematic models of detection processes are built. The indicators of coverage performance are used to evaluate the detection probability and expectation of detection time delay, which are important factors in reconnaissance constellation estimation viewed from military intelligence discipline. The conclusions confirmed by the final simulation will be useful in LEO reconnaissance constellation design, optimization and evaluation.

A DISTRIBUTED QOS ROUTING BASED ON ANT ALGORITHM FOR LEO SATELLITE NETWORK

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites provide short round-trip delays and are becoming in- creasingly important. One of the challenges in LEO satellite networks is the development of specialized and efficient routing algorithms. To satisfy the QoS requirements of multimedia applications, satellite routing protocols should consider handovers and minimize their effect on the active connections. A distributed QoS routing scheme based on heuristic ant algorithm is proposed for satisfying delay bound and avoiding link congestion. Simulation results show that the call blocking probabilities of this al- gorithm are less than that of Shortest Path First (SPF) with different delay bound.

An Orbit Determination Using SGP4 Propagator and Doppler Shifts for CubeSats

The two line elements(TLEs),released by the North American Aerospace Defense Command(NORAD),are chosen for CubeSats' mission operators.Unfortunately,they have errors and other accompanied problems,which cause large deviations in the in-track component.When a TLE value is available at a certain epoch,the dominant error is the angular error.It is proposed to correct the angular error by solving-for the mean argument of latitude at the desired epoch.A batch least squares technique and range rate measurements are used for the correction process.With the assistance of satellite tool kit(STK)software and Matlab,a simulation to verify the orbit determination(OD)technique is implemented.This paper provides an angular correction low cost OD method and presents a complete analysis for various test cases.This approach maintains high accuracy in cross-track and radial and makes great improvement in in-track at the same time,but it is exclusive for circular orbits.When it is applied to an elliptical orbit,the error will be unacceptable.Therefore,the angular error is corrected using the longitude of periapsis which totally mitigates the error at the epoch under consideration.For inclinations less than 20 o,the mean longitude is preferred for the angular correction as it provides more accuracy compared with the mean argument of latitude.

A fast acquisition method of DSSS signals using differential decoding and fast Fourier transform

In low earth orbit (LEO) satellite or missile communication scenarios, signals may experience extremely large Doppler shifts and have short visual time. Thus, direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) systems should be able to achieve acquisition in a very short time in spite of large Doppler frequencies. However, the traditional methods cannot solve it well. This work describes a new method that uses a differential decoding technique for Doppler mitigation and a batch process of FFT (fast Fourier transform) and IFFT (invert FFT) for the purpose of parallel code phase search by frequency domain correlation. After the code phase is estimated, another FFT process is carried out to search the Doppler frequency. Since both code phase and Doppler frequency domains are searched in parallel, this architecture can provide acquisition fifty times faster than conventional FFT methods. The performance in terms of the probability of detection and false alarm are also analyzed and simulated, showing that a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss of 3 dB is introduced by the differential decoding. The proposed method is an efficient way to shorten the acquisition time with slightly hardware increasing.

AI-Based Optimization of Handover Strategy in Non-Terrestrial Networks

Complicated radio resource management,e.g.,handover condition,will trouble the user in non-terrestrial networks due to the impact of high mobility and hierarchical layouts which co-exist with terrestrial networks or various platforms at different altitudes.It is necessary to optimize the handover strategy to reduce the signaling overhead and im⁃prove the service continuity.In this paper,a new handover strategy is proposed based on the convolutional neural network.Firstly,the handover process is modeled as a directed graph.Suppose a user knows its future signal strength,then he/she can search for the best handover strategy based on the graph.Secondly,a convolutional neural network is used to extract the underlying regularity of the best handover strategies of different users,based on which any user can make near-optimal handover decisions according to its historical signal strength.Numerical simulation shows that the proposed handover strategy can effi⁃ciently reduce the handover number while ensuring the signal strength.

Signal acquisition of Luojia-1A low earth orbit navigation augmentation system with software defined receiver

Low Earth Orbit(LEO)satellite navigation signal can be used as an opportunity signal in the case of a Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)outage,or as an enhancement by means of traditional GNSS positioning algorithms.No matter which service mode is used,signal acquisition is a prerequisite for providing enhanced LEO navigation services.Compared with the medium orbit satellite,the transit time of the LEO satellite is shorter.Thus,it is of great significance to expand the successful acquisition time range of the LEO signal.Previous studies on LEO signal acquisition are based on simulation data.However,signal acquisition research based on real data is crucial.In this work,the signal characteristics of LEO satellites:power space density in free space and the Doppler shift of LEO satellites are individually studied.The unified symbolic definitions of several integration algorithms based on the parallel search signal acquisition algorithm are given.To verify these algorithms for LEO signal acquisition,a Software Defined Receiver(SDR)is developed.The performance of these integration algorithms on expanding the successful acquisition time range is verified by the real data collected from the Luojia-1A satellite.The experimental results show that the integration strategy can expand the successful acquisition time range,and it will not expand indefinitely with the integration duration.The performance of the coherent integration and differential integration algorithms is better than the other two integration algorithms,so the two algorithms are recommended for LEO signal acquisition and a 20 ms integration duration is preferred.The detection threshold of 2.5 is not suitable for all integration algorithms and various integration durations,especially for the Maximum-to-Mean Ratio indicator.

The Erosion Effect of Kapton Film in a Ground-based Atomic Oxygen Irradiation Simulator

In order to investigate the effect of space environmental factors on spacecraft materials, a ground-based simulation facility for space atomic oxygen（AO） irradiation was developed in our laboratory. Some Kapton film samples were subjected to AO beam generated by this facility. The Kapton films before and after AO exposure were analyzed comparatively using optical microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, atomic force microscopy, high-precision microbalance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that the transmittance of Kapton film will be reduced by AO irradiation notably, and its color deepens from pale yellow to brown. Surface roughness of the AO-treated sample is already increased obviously after AO irradiation for 5 hours, and exhibits a flannel-like appearance after 15 hours’ exposure in AO beam. The imide rings and benzene rings in kapton molecule are partially decomposed, and some new bonds form during AO irradiation. The mass loss of kapton film increases linearly with the increase of AO fluence, which is resulted from the formation of volatile products, such as CO, CO2 and NOx. The breakage in structure and degradation in properties of AO-treated Kapton film can be attributed to the integrated effect ofimpaction and oxidization of AO beam. The test results agree well with the space flight experimental data.