RF ISLs in LEO mega-constellations: network topology and latency

Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs) will play a key role in future satellite networks. Moreover, in dense LEO satellite networks the possibility to establish not only intra-orbital ISLs but also adjacent, nearby and crossing orbital-plane ISLs offers more degrees of freedom to improve the communication performance. On the other hand, it makes network topology and routing optimization more complex. It is important to understand the trade-offs involved and this paper investigates the impact of a key ISL design choice, such as the maximum ISL distance, on the network topology and on one specific communication requirement such as the latency. The analysis provides some guidelines and useful information for future research activities.