User-Level Scheduling and Resource Allocation for Multi-Beam Satellite Systems with Full Frequency Reuse

Multi-beam satellite communication systems can improve the resource utilization and system capacity effectively.However,the inter-beam interference,especially for the satellite system with full frequency reuse,will degrade the system performance greatly due to the characteristics of multi-beam satellite antennas.In this article,the user scheduling and resource allocation of a multi-beam satellite system with full frequency reuse are jointly studied,in which all beams can use the full bandwidth.With the strong inter-beam interference,we aim to minimize the system latency experienced by the users during the process of data downloading.To solve this problem,deep reinforcement learning is used to schedule users and allocate bandwidth and power resources to mitigate the inter-beam interference.The simulation results are compared with other reference algorithms to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Joint Optimization of Satisfaction Index and Spectrum Efficiency with Cache Restricted for Resource Allocation in Multi-Beam Satellite Systems

Dynamic resource allocation(DRA) is a key technology to improve system performances in GEO multi-beam satellite systems. And, since the cache resource on the satellite is very valuable and limited, DRA problem under restricted cache resources is also an important issue to be studied. This paper mainly investigates the DRA problem of carrier resources under certain cache constraints. What's more, with the aim to satisfy all users' traffic demands as more as possible, and to maximize the utilization of the bandwidth, we formulate a multi-objective optimization problem(MOP) where the satisfaction index and the spectrum efficiency are jointly optimized. A modified strategy SA-NSGAII which combines simulated annealing(SA) and non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm-II(NSGAII) is proposed to approximate the Pareto solution to this MOP problem. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in terms of satisfaction index, spectrum efficiency, occupied cache, and etc.

Low Complexity Multiuser Detection Algorithm for Multi-Beam Satellite Systems

The minimum mean square error-successive interference cancellation( MMSE-SIC) multiuser detection algorithm has high complexity and long processing latency. A multiuser detection algorithm is proposed for multi-beam satellite systems in order to decrease the complexity and latency. The spot beams are grouped base on the distance between them in the proposed algorithm. Some groups are detected in parallel after a crucial group-wise interference cancellation. Furthermore, the multi-stage structure is introduced to improve the performance. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve better performance with less complexity compared with the existing group detection algorithm. Moreover,the proposed algorithm using one stage can reduce the complexity over the fast MMSE-SIC and existing group detection algorithm by 9% and20. 9%. The processing latency is reduced significantly compared with the MMSE-SIC.

Downlink call admission control with power allocation and rate scheduling for IDMA-based multi-beam satellite systems

Considering the advantage of interleave-division multiple-access(IDMA) technique and the technical bottlenecks in the existing satellite systems,IDMA is introduced into satellite communication networks.To further validate the IDMA into satellite systems,an effective call admission control(CAC) is proposed to maximize the resource utilization.After establishing the multi-beam satellite system model based on variable spreading gain(VSG) IDMA,the power allocation scheme based on SINR evolution technique and transmission rate adaptation for nonreal time interactive traffic are designed as integrated parts of the CAC,working together to improve the system performance in terms of power efficiency and throughput.Further,the analysis and simulation results show that IDMA under the proposed scheme can provide better QoS,in terms of the blocking/dropping probability,outage probability as well as delay performance.

Sequential dynamic resource allocation in multi-beam satellite systems:A learning-based optimization method

Multi-beam antenna and beam hopping technologies are an effective solution for scarce satellite frequency resources.One of the primary challenges accompanying with Multi-Beam Satellites(MBS)is an efficient Dynamic Resource Allocation(DRA)strategy.This paper presents a learning-based Hybrid-Action Deep Q-Network(HADQN)algorithm to address the sequential decision-making optimization problem in DRA.By using a parameterized hybrid action space,HADQN makes it possible to schedule the beam pattern and allocate transmitter power more flexibly.To pursue multiple long-term QoS requirements,HADQN adopts a multi-objective optimization method to decrease system transmission delay,loss ratio of data packets and power consumption load simultaneously.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed HADQN algorithm is feasible and greatly reduces in-orbit energy consumption without compromising QoS performance.

Cooperative User-Scheduling and Resource Allocation Optimization for Intelligent Reflecting Surface Enhanced LEO Satellite Communication

Lower Earth Orbit(LEO) satellite becomes an important part of complementing terrestrial communication due to its lower orbital altitude and smaller propagation delay than Geostationary satellite. However, the LEO satellite communication system cannot meet the requirements of users when the satellite-terrestrial link is blocked by obstacles. To solve this problem, we introduce Intelligent reflect surface(IRS) for improving the achievable rate of terrestrial users in LEO satellite communication. We investigated joint IRS scheduling, user scheduling, power and bandwidth allocation(JIRPB) optimization algorithm for improving LEO satellite system throughput.The optimization problem of joint user scheduling and resource allocation is formulated as a non-convex optimization problem. To cope with this problem, the nonconvex optimization problem is divided into resource allocation optimization sub-problem and scheduling optimization sub-problem firstly. Second, we optimize the resource allocation sub-problem via alternating direction multiplier method(ADMM) and scheduling sub-problem via Lagrangian dual method repeatedly.Third, we prove that the proposed resource allocation algorithm based ADMM approaches sublinear convergence theoretically. Finally, we demonstrate that the proposed JIRPB optimization algorithm improves the LEO satellite communication system throughput.

Channel Correlation Based User Grouping Algorithm for Nonlinear Precoding Satellite Communication System

Low Earth Orbit(LEO)multibeam satellites will be widely used in the next generation of satellite communication systems,whose inter-beam interference will inevitably limit the performance of the whole system.Nonlinear precoding such as Tomlinson-Harashima precoding(THP)algorithm has been proved to be a promising technology to solve this problem,which has smaller noise amplification effect compared with linear precoding.However,the similarity of different user channels(defined as channel correlation)will degrade the performance of THP algorithm.In this paper,we qualitatively analyze the inter-beam interference in the whole process of LEO satellite over a specific coverage area,and the impact of channel correlation on Signal-to-Noise Ratio(SNR)of receivers when THP is applied.One user grouping algorithm is proposed based on the analysis of channel correlation,which could decrease the number of users with high channel correlation in each precoding group,thus improve the performance of THP.Furthermore,our algorithm is designed under the premise of co-frequency deployment and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM),which leads to more users under severe inter-beam interference compared to the existing research on geostationary orbit satellites broadcasting systems.Simulation results show that the proposed user grouping algorithm possesses higher channel capacity and better bit error rate(BER)performance in high SNR conditions relative to existing works.

Proposal for a realtime Einstein-synchronization-defined satellite virtual clock

Realization of high performance satellite onboard clock is vital for various positioning, navigation, and timing applications. For further improvement of the synchronization-based satellite time and frequency references, we propose a geosynchronous(GEO) satellite virtual clock concept based on ground–satellite synchronization and present a beacon transponder structure for its implementation(scheduled for launch in 2025), which does not require atomic clocks to be mounted on the satellite. Its high performance relies only on minor modifications to the existing transponder structure of GEO satellites. We carefully model the carrier phase link and analyze the factors causing link asymmetry within the special relativity. Considering that performance of such synchronization-based satellite clocks is primarily limited by the link's random phase noise, which cannot be adequately modeled, we design a closed-loop experiment based on commercial GEO satellites for pre-evaluation. This experiment aims at extracting the zero-means random part of the ground-satellite Ku-band carrier phase via a feedback loop. Ultimately, we obtain a 1σ value of 0.633 ps(two-way link), following the Gaussian distribution. From this result, we conclude that the proposed real-time Einstein-synchronization-defined satellite virtual clock can achieve picosecond-level replication of onboard time and frequency.

MTCR-CR Routing Strategy for Connection-Oriented Routing over Satellite Networks

The high-speed movement of satellites makes it not feasible to directly apply the mature routing scheme on the ground to the satellite network.DT-DVTR in the snapshot-based connectionoriented routing strategy is one of the representative solutions,but it still has room for improvement in terms of routing stability.In this paper,we propose an improved scheme for connection-oriented routing strategy named the Minimal Topology Change Routing based on Collaborative Rules(MTCR-CR).The MTCR-CR uses continuous time static topology snapshots based on satellite status to search for intersatellite link(ISL)construction solutions that meet the minimum number of topology changes to avoid route oscillations.The simulation results in Beidou-3 show that compared with DT-DVTR,MTCR-CR reduces the number of routing changes by about 92%,the number of path changes caused by routing changes is about38%,and the rerouting time is reduced by approximately 47%.At the same time,in order to show our algorithm more comprehensively,the same experimental index test was also carried out on the Globalstar satellite constellation.

The First Verification Test of Space-Ground Collaborative Intelligence via Cloud-Native Satellites

Recent advancements in satellite technologies and the declining cost of access to space have led to the emergence of large satellite constellations in Low Earth Orbit(LEO).However,these constellations often rely on bent-pipe architecture,resulting in high communication costs.Existing onboard inference architectures suffer from limitations in terms of low accuracy and inflexibility in the deployment and management of in-orbit applications.To address these challenges,we propose a cloud-native-based satellite design specifically tailored for Earth Observation tasks,enabling diverse computing paradigms.In this work,we present a case study of a satellite-ground collaborative inference system deployed in the Tiansuan constellation,demonstrating a remarkable 50%accuracy improvement and a substantial 90%data reduction.Our work sheds light on in-orbit energy,where in-orbit computing accounts for 17%of the total onboard energy consumption.Our approach represents a significant advancement of cloud-native satellite,aiming to enhance the accuracy of in-orbit computing while simultaneously reducing communication cost.

Recent Progress of Earth Observation Satellites in China

Currently,China has 32 Earth observation satellites in orbit.The satellites can provide various data such as optical,multispectral,infrared,and radar.The spatial resolution of China Earth observation satellites ranges from low to medium to high.The satellites possess the capability to observe across multiple spectral bands,under all weather conditions,and at all times.The data of China Earth observation satellites has been widely used in fields such as natural resource detection,environmental monitoring and protection,disaster prevention and reduction,urban planning and mapping,agricultural and forestry surveys,land survey and geological prospecting,and ocean forecasting,achieving huge social benefits.This article introduces the recent progress of Earth observation satellites in China since 2022,especially the satellite operation,data archiving,data distribution and data coverage.

Analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)satellite is a small magnetosphere–ionosphere link explorer developed cooperatively between China and Europe.It pioneers the use of X-ray imaging technology to perform large-scale imaging of the Earth’s magnetosheath and polar cusp regions.It uses a high-precision ultraviolet imager to image the overall configuration of the aurora and monitor changes in the source of solar wind in real time,using in situ detection instruments to improve human understanding of the relationship between solar activity and changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.The SMILE satellite is scheduled to launch in 2025.The European Incoherent Scatter Sciences Association(EISCAT)-3D radar is a new generation of European incoherent scatter radar constructed by EISCAT and is the most advanced ground-based ionospheric experimental device in the high-latitude polar region.It has multibeam and multidirectional quasi-real-time three-dimensional(3D)imaging capabilities,continuous monitoring and operation capabilities,and multiple-baseline interferometry capabilities.Joint detection by the SMILE satellite and the EISCAT-3D radar is of great significance for revealing the coupling process of the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere.Therefore,we performed an analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D,analyzed the period during which the two can perform joint detection,and defined the key scientific problems that can be solved by joint detection.In addition,we developed Web-based software to search for and visualize the joint detection period of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar,which lays the foundation for subsequent joint detection experiments and scientific research.

Multi-network-region traffic cooperative scheduling in large-scale LEO satellite networks

A low-Earth-orbit(LEO)satellite network can provide full-coverage access services worldwide and is an essential candidate for future 6G networking.However,the large variability of the geographic distribution of the Earth’s population leads to an uneven service volume distribution of access service.Moreover,the limitations on the resources of satellites are far from being able to serve the traffic in hotspot areas.To enhance the forwarding capability of satellite networks,we first assess how hotspot areas under different load cases and spatial scales significantly affect the network throughput of an LEO satellite network overall.Then,we propose a multi-region cooperative traffic scheduling algorithm.The algorithm migrates low-grade traffic from hotspot areas to coldspot areas for forwarding,significantly increasing the overall throughput of the satellite network while sacrificing some latency of end-to-end forwarding.This algorithm can utilize all the global satellite resources and improve the utilization of network resources.We model the cooperative multi-region scheduling of large-scale LEO satellites.Based on the model,we build a system testbed using OMNET++to compare the proposed method with existing techniques.The simulations show that our proposed method can reduce the packet loss probability by 30%and improve the resource utilization ratio by 3.69%.

OFDMA-Based Unsourced Random Access in LEO Satellite Internet of Things

This paper investigates the low earth orbit(LEO)satellite-enabled coded compressed sensing(CCS)unsourced random access(URA)in orthogonal frequency division multiple access(OFDMA)framework,where a massive uniform planar array(UPA)is equipped on the satellite.In LEO satellite communications,unavoidable timing and frequency offsets cause phase shifts in the transmitted signals,substantially diminishing the decoding performance of current terrestrial CCS URA receiver.To cope with this issue,we expand the inner codebook with predefined timing and frequency offsets and formulate the inner decoding as a tractable compressed sensing(CS)problem.Additionally,we leverage the inherent sparsity of the UPA-equipped LEO satellite angular domain channels,thereby enabling the outer decoder to support more active devices.Furthermore,the outputs of the outer decoder are used to reduce the search space of the inner decoder,which cuts down the computational complexity and accelerates the convergence of the inner decoding.Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Performance evaluation of HY-2 series satellites in marine gravity field recovery

China has successfully launched four Haiyang-2(HY-2)series altimetry satellites.HY-2A has attracted significant attention in gravity field recovery,but the performance of other HY-2 series satellites,including HY-2B/C/D,is seldom discussed.This study evaluated the performance of all the HY-2 series satellites in recovering marine gravity field.First,the crossover discrepancies in sea surface height of the four satellites,HY-2A,HY-2B,HY-2C,and HY-2D,were analyzed to assess their altimetry stability.It was found that HY-2B had the best altimetry quality,followed by HY-2D.Subsequently,different combina-tions of altimetry data were used to calculate vertical deflections and gravity anomalies in the South China Sea(112°E-119°E,12°N-20°N).The results showed that combining data from HY-2B,HY-2C,and HY-2D improved the inversion accuracy of gravity anomalies by 0.3 mGal compared to using HY-2A data alone.HY-2C and HY-2D contributed to enhancing the accuracy of the east component of vertical deflections.

Blockchain-Based MCS Detection Framework of Abnormal Spectrum Usage for Satellite Spectrum Sharing Scenario

In this paper, the problem of abnormal spectrum usage between satellite spectrum sharing systems is investigated to support multi-satellite spectrum coexistence. Given the cost of monitoring, the mobility of low-orbit satellites, and the directional nature of their signals, traditional monitoring methods are no longer suitable, especially in the case of multiple power level. Mobile crowdsensing(MCS), as a new technology, can make full use of idle resources to complete a variety of perceptual tasks. However, traditional MCS heavily relies on a centralized server and is vulnerable to single point of failure attacks. Therefore, we replace the original centralized server with a blockchain-based distributed service provider to enable its security. Therefore, in this work, we propose a blockchain-based MCS framework, in which we explain in detail how this framework can achieve abnormal frequency behavior monitoring in an inter-satellite spectrum sharing system. Then, under certain false alarm probability, we propose an abnormal spectrum detection algorithm based on mixed hypothesis test to maximize detection probability in single power level and multiple power level scenarios, respectively. Finally, a Bad out of Good(BooG) detector is proposed to ease the computational pressure on the blockchain nodes. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

High performance receiving and processing technology in satellite beam hopping communication

Beam-hopping technology has become one of the major research hotspots for satellite communication in order to enhance their communication capacity and flexibility.However,beam hopping causes the traditional continuous time-division multiplexing signal in the forward downlink to become a burst signal,satellite terminal receivers need to solve multiple key issues such as burst signal rapid synchronization and high-per-formance reception.Firstly,this paper analyzes the key issues of burst communication for traffic signals in beam hopping sys-tems,and then compares and studies typical carrier synchro-nization algorithms for burst signals.Secondly,combining the requirements of beam-hopping communication systems for effi-cient burst and low signal-to-noise ratio reception of downlink signals in forward links,a decoding assisted bidirectional vari-able parameter iterative carrier synchronization technique is pro-posed,which introduces the idea of iterative processing into car-rier synchronization.Aiming at the technical characteristics of communication signal carrier synchronization,a new technical approach of bidirectional variable parameter iteration is adopted,breaking through the traditional understanding that loop struc-tures cannot adapt to low signal-to-noise ratio burst demodula-tion.Finally,combining the DVB-S2X standard physical layer frame format used in high throughput satellite communication systems,the research and performance simulation are con-ducted.The results show that the new technology proposed in this paper can significantly shorten the carrier synchronization time of burst signals,achieve fast synchronization of low signal-to-noise ratio burst signals,and have the unique advantage of flexible and adjustable parameters.

A VGGNet-based correction for satellite altimetry-derived gravity anomalies to improve the accuracy of bathymetry to depths of 6500 m

Understanding the topographic patterns of the seafloor is a very important part of understanding our planet.Although the science involved in bathymetric surveying has advanced much over the decades,less than 20%of the seafloor has been precisely modeled to date,and there is an urgent need to improve the accuracy and reduce the uncertainty of underwater survey data.In this study,we introduce a pretrained visual geometry group network(VGGNet)method based on deep learning.To apply this method,we input gravity anomaly data derived from ship measurements and satellite altimetry into the model and correct the latter,which has a larger spatial coverage,based on the former,which is considered the true value and is more accurate.After obtaining the corrected high-precision gravity model,it is inverted to the corresponding bathymetric model by applying the gravity-depth correlation.We choose four data pairs collected from different environments,i.e.,the Southern Ocean,Pacific Ocean,Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea,to evaluate the topographic correction results of the model.The experiments show that the coefficient of determination(R~2)reaches 0.834 among the results of the four experimental groups,signifying a high correlation.The standard deviation and normalized root mean square error are also evaluated,and the accuracy of their performance improved by up to 24.2%compared with similar research done in recent years.The evaluation of the R^(2) values at different water depths shows that our model can achieve performance results above 0.90 at certain water depths and can also significantly improve results from mid-water depths when compared to previous research.Finally,the bathymetry corrected by our model is able to show an accuracy improvement level of more than 21%within 1%of the total water depths,which is sufficient to prove that the VGGNet-based method has the ability to perform a gravity-bathymetry correction and achieve outstanding results.

The Performance of Downward Shortwave Radiation Products from Satellite and Reanalysis over the Transect of Zhongshan Station to Dome A, East Antarctica

The downward shortwave radiation(DSR) is an important part of the Earth's energy balance, driving Earth's system's energy, water, and carbon cycles. Due to the harsh Antarctic environment, the accuracy of DSR derived from satellite and reanalysis has not been systematically evaluated over the transect of Zhongshan station to Dome A, East Antarctica.Therefore, this study aims to evaluate DSR reanalysis products(ERA5-Land, ERA5, MERRA-2) and satellite products(CERES and ICDR) in this area. The results indicate that DSR exhibits obvious monthly and seasonal variations, with higher values in summer than in winter. The ERA5-Land(ICDR) DSR product demonstrated the highest(lowest) accuracy,as evidenced by a correlation coefficient of 0.988(0.918), a root-mean-square error of 23.919(69.383) W m^(–2), a mean bias of –1.667(–28.223) W m^(–2) and a mean absolute error of 13.37(58.99) W m^(–2). The RMSE values for the ERA5-Land reanalysis product at seven stations, namely Zhongshan, Panda 100, Panda 300, Panda 400, Taishan, Panda 1100, and Kunlun, were 30.938, 29.447, 34.507, 29.110, 20.339, 17.267, and 14.700 W m^(-2), respectively;with corresponding bias values of 9.887, –12.159, –19.181, –15.519, –8.118, 6.297, and 3.482 W m^(–2). Regarding seasonality, ERA5-Land, ERA5,and MERRA-2 reanalysis products demonstrate higher accuracies during spring and summer, while ICDR products are least accurate in autumn. Cloud cover, water vapor, total ozone, and severe weather are the main factors affecting DSR. The error of DSR products is greatest in coastal areas(particularly at the Zhongshan station) and decreases towards the inland areas of Antarctica.

Meter-Scale Thin-Walled Structure with Lattice Infill for Fuel Tank Supporting Component of Satellite:Multiscale Design and Experimental Verification

Lightweight thin-walled structures with lattice infill are widely desired in satellite for their high stiffness-to-weight ratio and superior buckling strength resulting fromthe sandwich effect.Such structures can be fabricated bymetallic additive manufacturing technique,such as selective laser melting(SLM).However,the maximum dimensions of actual structures are usually in a sub-meter scale,which results in restrictions on their appliance in aerospace and other fields.In this work,a meter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill is designed for the fuel tank supporting component of the satellite by integrating a self-supporting lattice into the thickness optimization of the thin-wall.The designed structure is fabricated by SLM of AlSi10Mg and cold metal transfer welding technique.Quasi-static mechanical tests and vibration tests are both conducted to verify the mechanical strength of the designed large-scale lattice thin-walled structure.The experimental results indicate that themeter-scale thin-walled structure with lattice infill could meet the dimension and lightweight requirements of most spacecrafts.