Traffic-Aware Satellite Switch-off Technique for LEO Constellations

Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations will be a fundamental part in future communication networks by providing seamless global coverage and extending data paths to the space, both in the standalone deployment and in the satellite-terrestrial integrated networks. However, LEO constellations still need to address a set of development challenges to ensure long-term viability; particularly, in terms of energy efficiency and satellite lifespan. In this paper, a traffic-aware satellite switch-off technique is proposed to minimize the power consumption in LEO constellations. This includes formulating and solving a mixed binary integer optimization problem under the constraints of satellite-user visibility and satisfying the demand requirements of all the ground users. The performance of the proposed technique is evaluated via simulations using practical constellation pattern and realistic traffic distribution. It has been shown that nearly 40% of the satellite nodes can be redundant and switched-off for energy saving, and thus, extending the constellation lifetime and alleviating the aggregated interference due to utilizing a large number of multibeam satellites.