Eurescom, as the prime coordinator of the 6G SmartSat ESA project, is proud to announce the release of the latest white paper, “Topology Semantic Routing for Mega-Constellations.” Developed in collaboration with Fraunhofer FOKUS, Airbus Defence and Space, and Deutsche Telekom, this paper presents a groundbreaking approach to overcoming the routing challenges in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

Addressing the Challenges of Mega-Constellations

Mega-constellations of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites experience continuous and predictable changes due to orbital dynamics, atmospheric conditions, and frequent reconfigurations of ground station links. These highly dynamic topologies make conventional routing protocols like OSPF and BGP ineffective, as their convergence times exceed the rate of topology changes.

Introducing Topology Semantic Routing

The white paper introduces Topology Semantic Routing (TSR) as an innovative solution to mitigate the impact of these continuous changes. TSR enables adaptive, real-time routing that minimizes the burden on satellite compute resources while enhancing network efficiency and resilience.

Unlike traditional routing methods, TSR adapts dynamically to real-time network changes using local information. It bypasses missing links or nodes without requiring network-wide signalling and significantly reduces computational overhead by leveraging pre-computed routes. This ensures resilience and efficiency in satellite communications by dynamically modifying routes based on environmental conditions. TSR also integrates well with centralized routing solutions, allowing predefined paths to be computed in ground control centres and loaded into satellite systems. This significantly reduces the need for traditional distributed routing convergence, ensuring seamless 5G TN-NTN integration.

Trade-offs and Future Directions

• Centralized routing minimizes signalling but requires extensive memory for large routing tables.
• Topology Semantic Routing reduces memory demands by incorporating minimal local processing.
• Cross-optimization between topology and service layers can enhance performance and prevent artificial congestion.
• Future validation of TSR using the OpenLANES toolkit will further refine its integration into commercial solutions.

A Milestone for 6G Satellite Networks

The insights from this white paper contribute to the broader efforts in developing multi-sector communication solutions, enhancing satellite-terrestrial integration, and enabling innovations in automotive, agriculture, and emergency response.

Authors and Contributors

ESA Technical Officer: Maria Guta (ESA ESTEC)
Authors: Marius Corici (Fraunhofer FOKUS), Adam Kapovits (Eurescom), Matthias Britsch (Deutsche Telekom), Markus Breitbach (Deutsche Telekom), Sebastian Eiser (Airbus), Hauke Buhr (Fraunhofer FOKUS), Nicolas Zunker (Fraunhofer FOKUS), Paulo Milheiro Mendes (Airbus)

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Read the full white paper here: Topology Semantic Routing for Mega-Constellations