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On the Role of Communications for Space Domain Awareness

Nathaniel G. Gordon, Nesrine Benchoubane, Gunes Karabulut Kurt, Gregory Falco

TL;DR

The paper addresses the scalability and resilience challenges of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) networks amid proliferating LEO constellations. It compares a traditional centralized downhaul architecture with a distributed on-orbit distribution approach, using latency as a performance proxy and simulation with OneWeb and Starlink constellations. The authors formalize SDA network components, define two architectures, and demonstrate that on-orbit distribution offers lower, more consistent latency and greater resilience, albeit with higher complexity and cost, while emphasizing security considerations. The study argues that distributed, onboard-enabled SDA networks are better suited to the New Space era, highlighting the need for standardization, cybersecurity measures, and continued technological advances to ensure scalable and secure SDA operations.

Abstract

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) has become increasingly vital with the rapid growth of commercial space activities and the expansion of New Space. This paper stresses the necessity of transitioning from centralized to distributed SDA architectures. The current architecture predominantly relies on individual downhaul, which we propose to transition to on-orbit distribution. Our results demonstrate that the individual downhaul architecture does not scale efficiently with the increasing number of nodes, while on-orbit distribution offers significant improvements. By comparing the centralized architecture with the proposed distributed architecture, we highlight the advantages of enhanced coverage and resilience. Our findings show that on-orbit distribution greatly outperforms individual downhaul in terms of latency and scalability. Specifically, the latency results for on-orbit distribution are substantially lower and more consistent, even as the number of satellites increases. In addition, we address the inherent challenges associated with on-orbit distribution architecture, particularly cybersecurity concerns. We focus on link security to ensure the availability and integrity of data transmission in these advanced SDA systems. Future expectations include further refinement of on-orbit distribution strategies and the development of robust cybersecurity measures to support the scalability and resilience of SDA systems.

On the Role of Communications for Space Domain Awareness

TL;DR

The paper addresses the scalability and resilience challenges of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) networks amid proliferating LEO constellations. It compares a traditional centralized downhaul architecture with a distributed on-orbit distribution approach, using latency as a performance proxy and simulation with OneWeb and Starlink constellations. The authors formalize SDA network components, define two architectures, and demonstrate that on-orbit distribution offers lower, more consistent latency and greater resilience, albeit with higher complexity and cost, while emphasizing security considerations. The study argues that distributed, onboard-enabled SDA networks are better suited to the New Space era, highlighting the need for standardization, cybersecurity measures, and continued technological advances to ensure scalable and secure SDA operations.

Abstract

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) has become increasingly vital with the rapid growth of commercial space activities and the expansion of New Space. This paper stresses the necessity of transitioning from centralized to distributed SDA architectures. The current architecture predominantly relies on individual downhaul, which we propose to transition to on-orbit distribution. Our results demonstrate that the individual downhaul architecture does not scale efficiently with the increasing number of nodes, while on-orbit distribution offers significant improvements. By comparing the centralized architecture with the proposed distributed architecture, we highlight the advantages of enhanced coverage and resilience. Our findings show that on-orbit distribution greatly outperforms individual downhaul in terms of latency and scalability. Specifically, the latency results for on-orbit distribution are substantially lower and more consistent, even as the number of satellites increases. In addition, we address the inherent challenges associated with on-orbit distribution architecture, particularly cybersecurity concerns. We focus on link security to ensure the availability and integrity of data transmission in these advanced SDA systems. Future expectations include further refinement of on-orbit distribution strategies and the development of robust cybersecurity measures to support the scalability and resilience of SDA systems.
Paper Structure (23 sections, 3 figures, 2 tables, 2 algorithms)

This paper contains 23 sections, 3 figures, 2 tables, 2 algorithms.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. SDA Concerns
  3. Prior Art
  4. SDA for a New Space
  5. SDA Networks
  6. SDA Network Components
  7. SDA Network Reference Architectures
  8. Individual Downhaul Architecture
  9. On-Orbit Distribution Architecture
  10. Network Performance Evaluation
  11. Simulations and Analysis of SDA Networks
  12. Simulation Results
  13. Advantages and Disadvantages
  14. Security Considerations for SDA Networks
  15. Attack Pathways
  16. ...and 8 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Evolution of satellite Numbers, SDA and current ground tracking systems from 1950s to present.
  • Figure 2: Comparison of reference architectures: (a) Individual Downhaul and (b) On-Orbit Distribution
  • Figure 3: Simulation results for both network architecture for Starlink and OneWeb constellations: (a) Comparison on OneWeb constellation (b) Comparison on Starlink constellation (c) Comparison on combined Starlink and OneWeb constellation (d) Demonstration of the impact to latency of varying the number of the actuator nodes in OneWeb constellation.