Optimal Gateway Placement for Minimizing Intersatellite Link Usage in LEO Megaconstellation Networks

Megaconstellation networks, represented by Starlink and OneWeb, have become a promising solution for the wide-area Internet of Things (IoT). IoT messages collected satellite can be routed to ground gateway via multiple intersatellite link (ISL) relays then access network. Compared traditional constellations, megaconstellations with massive satellites require more ISL that are greatly affected number location gateways. In this article, we focus on usage connecting gateways propose novel method low computation cost evaluate metric. Then, formulate mixed-integer optimization model site (GSO) problem minimizing overall usage, which is simplified through transformation. An IBD-PSO algorithm proposed solve transformed GSO problem. Based constellation, simulation results verified comparisons previous studies. We further investigate how placement traffic demand pattern. The relations between hop count different also studied.