Geographic-position-based Satellite Communications Nerwork

LEO satellite communications network has the advantages of high bandwidth, low link loss, short delay, global coverage and frequency-mutiple. Cellular IP technology is applied to the intensive regional communications, and is able to handle the mobility management which is caused by frequent location updates and cross-handover problems. To combine the advantages of the two technologies, a new satellite communications network, called geographic-position-based satellite communications network, is proposed in this paper. The network is based on the routing mechanism of area-coverage of the satellite and the idea that the network address is represented by the position information. Its architecture is divided into two models, one is applied to the general network for the less communications area, and the other is applied to the cellular network for the more communications area.At first, the satellite communications, LEO satellite communications network, mobile IP technology, and other related concepts are described in this paper. Then the two routing strategies of division by the system period and the geographic position are analyzed. On this basis, the geographic-position-based satellite communications network is proposed, in which the DRA routing algorithm is used. After that the software called OPNET is used to simulate the network and the results show that the new satellite communications network is feasible, and get the better performance of the network delay, throughput and mobility management, it achieves the initial designed target. Finally, this paper is summarized, and some problems that the new network is not related to are pointed out. The performance of the network could be developed by solving the problems.