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Near-realtime Earth Observation Via Starlink LEO Satellite Constellation

Bo Wu, David Tipper, Pengfei Zhou

TL;DR

The paper tackles real-time downlink bottlenecks for large EO satellite constellations by proposing SSU, a Starlink-aided data-transfer framework that treats EO satellites as space users. It advances three core components: dynamic PoP profiling to predict end-to-end performance, orbit-aware link selection to cope with Doppler and distance constraints, and a system-level scheduler that optimizes throughput across many opportunities. Empirical results from real Starlink measurements and trace-driven simulations show SSU can notably reduce data backlog (from ~407.6 GB to ~174–186 GB per satellite) and nearly double transfer efficiency compared with baselines, with favorable cost implications under sustained throughput. The work demonstrates a viable path to near-realtime EO data delivery at potentially lower costs than traditional ground-station-heavy architectures, by integrating space users into Starlink’s LEO network through data-driven routing and scheduling strategies.

Abstract

Earth observation (EO) satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are collecting vast amounts of data, which are invaluable for applications such as monitoring forest fires. However, data downloading from EO satellites faces significant challenges due to the limited number of ground stations and the brief communication windows with them. Conversely, emerging LEO constellations like Starlink have enabled continuous connectivity and revolutionized access for ordinary users globally, who can connect via a simple satellite dish. In this paper, we study the feasibility of supporting EO satellites with Starlink satellite infrastructure and introduce a novel data delivery system, designated as "Starlink Space User" (SSU), for relaying data from observation satellites. SSU treats EO satellites as space users of Starlink, facilitating efficient data transfer to Earth. At the core of SSU is a novel class of algorithms designed for link and PoP selection, as well as system scheduling optimization, that operate effectively atop Starlink's proprietary infrastructure. We assess the performance of SSU using trace-driven simulations alongside real-world Starlink performance measurements. Our results demonstrate that the proposed Starlink-aided design can significantly reduce the median backlog (data not delivered) per satellite.

Near-realtime Earth Observation Via Starlink LEO Satellite Constellation

TL;DR

The paper tackles real-time downlink bottlenecks for large EO satellite constellations by proposing SSU, a Starlink-aided data-transfer framework that treats EO satellites as space users. It advances three core components: dynamic PoP profiling to predict end-to-end performance, orbit-aware link selection to cope with Doppler and distance constraints, and a system-level scheduler that optimizes throughput across many opportunities. Empirical results from real Starlink measurements and trace-driven simulations show SSU can notably reduce data backlog (from ~407.6 GB to ~174–186 GB per satellite) and nearly double transfer efficiency compared with baselines, with favorable cost implications under sustained throughput. The work demonstrates a viable path to near-realtime EO data delivery at potentially lower costs than traditional ground-station-heavy architectures, by integrating space users into Starlink’s LEO network through data-driven routing and scheduling strategies.

Abstract

Earth observation (EO) satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are collecting vast amounts of data, which are invaluable for applications such as monitoring forest fires. However, data downloading from EO satellites faces significant challenges due to the limited number of ground stations and the brief communication windows with them. Conversely, emerging LEO constellations like Starlink have enabled continuous connectivity and revolutionized access for ordinary users globally, who can connect via a simple satellite dish. In this paper, we study the feasibility of supporting EO satellites with Starlink satellite infrastructure and introduce a novel data delivery system, designated as "Starlink Space User" (SSU), for relaying data from observation satellites. SSU treats EO satellites as space users of Starlink, facilitating efficient data transfer to Earth. At the core of SSU is a novel class of algorithms designed for link and PoP selection, as well as system scheduling optimization, that operate effectively atop Starlink's proprietary infrastructure. We assess the performance of SSU using trace-driven simulations alongside real-world Starlink performance measurements. Our results demonstrate that the proposed Starlink-aided design can significantly reduce the median backlog (data not delivered) per satellite.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 26 sections, 4 equations, 17 figures, 2 tables, 1 algorithm.

Table of Contents

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION
  3. PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
  4. Starlink Global Distribution
  5. Ground Users and Starlink Satellites
  6. Space Users and Starlink Satellites
  7. STARLINK AIDED EARTH OBSERVATION DATA TRANSFER
  8. Profiled PoP Selection
  9. Route Quality Analysis
  10. PoP Profiling and ISL Estimation
  11. Orbit Analysis Based Link Selection
  12. System Scheduler
  13. EXPERIMENTS
  14. Route Quality Measurements
  15. Space User to Starlink Link Estimation
  16. ...and 11 more sections

Figures (17)

  • Figure 1: SSU is a Starlink aided data transfer system.
  • Figure 2: Starlink LEO satellite constellation.
  • Figure 3: Starlink satellite distribution and CDFs of network parameters from 5 ground locations.
  • Figure 4: CDF of distance and relative velocity from EO satellites to Starlink for different selection criteria.
  • Figure 5: Average connection time per Starlink satellite for different criteria (RV: relative velocity).
  • ...and 12 more figures