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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Power Reduction Method for Pilot Channel of LEO Satellite Based on Dynamic Compensation

Since the lower power requirement of code division multiple access(CDMA) than that of other multiple access, the CDMA technology is suitable to be used in low earth orbit(LEO) satellite communication system whose space power is limited due to the small size of satellite. The pilot channel of CDMA technology is very important for earth mobile station(EMS) in LEO system to recover carrier and code, but the power requirement of pilot channel is very higher than that of other channels. In this paper, a power reduction method for pilot channel is proposed. By the new method, the power of pilot channel transmitted from LEO satellite is reduced to a lower level. For improving the signal to noise ratio(SNR) of pilot channel with lower power, coherent integration is employed in EMS at the pre-processing stage. Considering the high dynamic situation of LEO satellite, the long period of time for integration will deteriorate the receiving performance of EMS, therefore, a dynamic compensation module is added to carrier tracking loop against the high dynamic. Meanwhile, the transfer function of the new tracking loop and the condition for steadystate zero error are deduced. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Long Range Wireless Sensor Network Employing Cooperative Relaying-UAVs via LEO Satellite

In this study we proposed unique system model for wireless sensor network data telemetry in a wide area and long range. This system is made up with a wide area wireless sensor nodes, UAVs （unmanned aerial vehicles） and LEO （low earth orbit） communication satellite. Wirelessly data signals relaying from sensor nodes on ground to flying UAVs and relaying them to LEO satellite were studied. Three cases of studies were conducted： system without UAV-relay case, one UAV-relay case and two UAV-relay cases. In all the cases, the outage probabilities of data signal channel in Rayleigh fading environment were analyzed and overall system performance was quantified while considering an adaptive decode-and-forward relaying protocol scheme for UAVs. Then, the overall system channel signal-to-noise ratio required in order to achieve a predefined outage probability was analyzed at different channel data rate.

A Novel Probability-Based Handoff Strategy for Multimedia LEO Satellite Communications

A novel bandwidth allocation strategy and a connection admission control technique arc proposed to improve the utilization of network resource and provide the network with better quality of service （QoS） guarantees in multimedia low earth orbit （LEO） satellite networks. Our connection admission control scheme, we call the probability based dynamic channel reservation strategy （PDR）, dynamically reserves bandwidth for real-time services based on their handoff probability. And the reserved bandwidth for real-time handoff connection can also be used by new connections under a certain probability determined by the mobility characteristics and bandwidth usage of the system. Simulation results show that our scheme not only lowers the call dropping probability （CDP） for Class I real-time service but also maintains the call blocking probability （CBP） to certain degree. Consequently, the scheme can offer very low CDP for rcal-time connections while keeping resource utilization high.

PACKET ROUTING ALGORITHM FOR LEO SATELLITE CONSTELLATION NETWORK

A novel distributed packet routing algorithm for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks based on spiderweb topology is presented. The algorithm gives the shortest path with very low computational complexity and without on-board routing tables, which is suitable and practical for on-board processing. Simulation results show its practicability and feasibility.

Basic performance of BeiDou-2 navigation satellite system used in LEO satellites precise orbit determination

The visibility for low earth orbit（LEO） satellites provided by the BeiDou-2 system is analyzed and compared with the global positioning system（GPS）. In addition, the spaceborne receivers＇ observations are simulated by the BeiDou satellites broadcast ephemeris and LEO satellites orbits. The precise orbit determination（POD） results show that the along-track component accuracy is much better over the service area than the non-service area, while the accuracy of the other two directions keeps at the same level over different areas. However, the 3-dimensional（3D） accuracy over the two areas shows almost no difference. Only taking into consideration the observation noise and navigation satellite ephemeris errors, the 3D accuracy of the POD is about30 cm. As for the precise relative orbit determination（PROD）, the 3D accuracy is much better over the eastern hemisphere than that of the western hemisphere. The baseline length accuracy is 3.4 mm over the service area, and it is still better than 1 cm over the non-service area. This paper demonstrates that the BeiDou regional constellation could provide global service to LEO satellites for the POD and the PROD. Finally, the benefit of geostationary earth orbit（GEO） satellites is illustrated for POD.

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.

Exploration of CASC＇s Commercial Space

China＇s commercial space activities started from the launch of Asiasat- I satellite by a LM-B launch vehicle on April 7, 1990. As the leading force in ChinEs space industry, CASC has been committed to commercial space for nearly 30 years. The article describes CASC＇s advantages and activities in commercial space sector, as well as outlook for CASC commercial space development. The author concludes CASC is willing to coordinate and cooperate with state-owned and private companies and will create a new pattern for commercial space, opening up a new industry for space development and achieving more splendid achievement.

Detecting seismic electromagnetic ELF anomalies associated with the 2010 Yushu earthquake in China by DEMETER observations and ELF Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere coupling propagating model

Over the last century,abnormal electromagnetic(EM)emissions associated with earthquake(EQ)activities have been widely reported and recorded by ground-based and satellite observations.However,the frequency at which abnormal EM emissions have been detected varies.In addition,whether low Earth orbit(LEO)satellites can detect EM anomalies from EQs remains controversial.In this paper,we take the Yushu earthquake as an example to address these concerns by DEMETER satellite observations and a newly constructed lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere model of extremely low frequency(ELF)wave propagation.The results illustrate that the frequency of ELF EM anomalies of the Yushu earthquake is mainly at 200–400 Hz.The observations and simulations illustrate that the power-frequency curve of the ELF EM wave from an underground source has a peak power frequency at 200–400 Hz,which is significantly different from the ELF EM wave radiated from the ground source.

Reverse Detection Based QoS Routing Algorithm for LEO Satellite Constellation Networks

A reverse detection based QoS routing algorithm was developed based on the dynamic topology of low earth orbit （LEO） satellite constellation networks. This distributed algorithm has very low computational complexity, so it is suitable for on-board processing. This algorithm improves the autonomous operating ca- pability and throughput of satellite networks. Simulations show that the algorithm has better performance than the static sequent snap shots algorithm with acceptable low overhead signaling.