Multiple-User Transmission in Space Information Networks: Architecture and Key Techniques

Abstract

A SIN is a heterogeneous network that consists of various access nodes in different space mobile platforms, such as satellites, high altitude airships, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Due to their remarkable coverage performance, SINs play a key role in establishing a real-time and integrated communication framework for information acquisition and wideband signal transmission. This article presents the architecture of SINs and discusses three promising techniques for multiple-user transmission. Taking advantage of multiple-antenna systems, several transmission methods based on beamforming are investigated. We discuss various schemes for multiple- user access, with an emphasis on non-orthogonal approaches. Finally, cooperative transmission methods using different functional nodes are presented to enhance the performance of SINs.