An Efficient Differentiated Routing Scheme for MEO/LEO-Based Multi-Layer Satellite Networks

Multi-Layer Satellite Networks (MLSNs) based on Medium and Low Earth Orbit (MEO and LEO) satellites have gained wide attention for a sake of their complementary advantages, offering improved flexibility and transmission efficiency. However, there are still several key issues to be addressed in terms of efficient routing, as related network topologies are dynamically changed, and Quality of Service (QoS) guarantee is impeded by the changing link quality and uneven traffic distribution. Thus, in this article, we mainly focus on the topology management and route planning for MLSNs, and propose a multi-objective-based Inter-layer Link Allocation (ILA) scheme for MEO and LEO satellites, along with a QoS-based Routing (QoSR) algorithm for on-demand traffic delivery. The aims are to significantly enhance the topology stability for transmission efficiency and improve user experience for different types of applications. Then, we implement the proposed scheme in Network Simulator NS-3 and evaluate its performance with other benchmarks. Extensive simulations were performed and related results indicate that the proposed scheme can sharply reduce the frequency of Inter-Layer Link (ILL) handovers and transmission power consumption, and significantly prompt the link utilization and transmission quality including end-to-end delay, packet loss rate, and flow finish rate.