Multi-Satellite Collaborations: Conception, Merits, Mechanisms, and Prospects

IF 50.6 1区计算机科学 Q1 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS

IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-03-12 DOI:10.1109/COMST.2026.3673328

Gaofeng Pan;Xuyang Zhang;Pengxu Chen;Shuai Wang;Rui Zhang;Zizheng Hua;Dusit Niyato;Pei Xiao;Marco Di Renzo;George K. Karagiannidis

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

As tasks become more diverse and business volume surges in satellite communication scenarios, improving the performance and coordination capabilities of satellite communication systems has become crucial. Satellite communications (SatComs) are characterized by specialized tasks, orbital operation, extensive coverage, and complex link environments. However, relying on a single satellite can introduce performance bottlenecks and coverage blind spots. To address these limitations, this paper explores multi-satellite collaboration (MSC) within space information networks. MSC defined as the coordinated operation of two or more satellites within a given spatiotemporal region, with or without ground node assistance, has therefore emerged as a trans-formative paradigm to jointly accomplish specific missions. First, we analyze the applicability boundaries of single-satellite and MSC modes, highlighting the intrinsic advantages of collaborative architectures for coverage enhancement and resilience. Then, we comprehensively review key enabling technologies for collaboration across various orbital scenarios, including intra-orbit and inter-orbit, as well as network formation and topology construction, signal level, access level, link level, routing level, and transmission resource allocation. We also discuss how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cross-domain integration, can improve MSC performance. The paper aims to provide theoretical References and technical directions for designing and optimizing future efficient and intelligent MSC systems.

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多卫星协作：概念、优点、机制和前景

随着卫星通信场景任务的多样化和业务量的激增，提高卫星通信系统的性能和协调能力变得至关重要。卫星通信（SatComs）具有任务专门化、轨道运行、覆盖范围广、链路环境复杂等特点。然而，依赖单个卫星可能会引入性能瓶颈和覆盖盲点。为了解决这些限制，本文探讨了空间信息网络中的多卫星协作（MSC）。MSC被定义为在给定时空区域内两颗或多颗卫星的协调操作，无论是否有地面节点的协助，因此已成为共同完成特定任务的变革性范例。首先，我们分析了单星和MSC模式的适用性边界，强调了协作架构在增强覆盖和恢复能力方面的内在优势。然后，我们全面回顾了跨不同轨道场景（包括轨道内和轨道间）协作的关键使能技术，以及网络形成和拓扑构建、信号级、接入级、链路级、路由级和传输资源分配。我们还讨论了新兴技术，如人工智能和跨域集成，如何提高MSC性能。本文旨在为未来高效、智能化的MSC系统的设计和优化提供理论参考和技术指导。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION SYSTEMS-TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CiteScore

80.20

自引率

2.50%

发文量

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials is an online journal published by the IEEE Communications Society for tutorials and surveys covering all aspects of the communications field. Telecommunications technology is progressing at a rapid pace, and the IEEE Communications Society is committed to providing researchers and other professionals the information and tools to stay abreast. IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials focuses on integrating and adding understanding to the existing literature on communications, putting results in context. Whether searching for in-depth information about a familiar area or an introduction into a new area, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials aims to be the premier source of peer-reviewed, comprehensive tutorials and surveys, and pointers to further sources. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials publishes only articles exclusively written for IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials and go through a rigorous review process before their publication in the quarterly issues. A tutorial article in the IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials should be designed to help the reader to become familiar with and learn something specific about a chosen topic. In contrast, the term survey, as applied here, is defined to mean a survey of the literature. A survey article in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials should provide a comprehensive review of developments in a selected area, covering its development from its inception to its current state and beyond, and illustrating its development through liberal citations from the literature. Both tutorials and surveys should be tutorial in nature and should be written in a style comprehensible to readers outside the specialty of the article.