Design and Analysis of Satellite Network Architectures for Ecological Resilience

Abstract

Networks require a balance between pathway efficiency and pathway redundancy. Efficient networks save on resources but are susceptible to interruption by disturbances. Redundant networks are more resilient against disturbances but can be wasteful of resources. This applies to satellite networks, the design and analysis of which are typically restricted to individualized, case-by case-bases. As such, there has yet to be a singular, holistic measure for how "good" the architecture of a satellite network is, which makes comparison of different designs difficult. The presented work investigates the architectures of three hypothetical, realistic satellite network case studies. Metrics are proposed for quantitatively comparing the satellite networks based on global instantaneous coverage of Earth's surface, in-network accuracy of data handled, and in-network latency. The satellite networks are then subjected to an Ecological Network Analysis to benchmark them against biological food webs and identify similarities. Millions of years of evolution and natural selection have optimized the architectures of food webs such that they exhibit a unique balance between pathway efficiency and pathway redundancy, giving rise to sustainability and resilience. Recent works have demonstrated that designing human networks such as power grids and supply chains to mimic the ecological balance between efficiency and redundancy can improve the resilience of those human networks. Correlations and patterns discovered between biological and human networks offer insight on the future applicability of ecological mimicry for satellite networks, particularly in communications and wireless power applications. This work establishes methods for using food web inspiration in the design and analysis of satellite networks for resilience.