Avoiding Self-Interference in Megaconstellations Through Cooperative Satellite Routing and Frequency Assignment

Abstract

With the reduced distance between satellites in modern megaconstellations, the potential for self-interference has emerged as a critical challenge that demands strategic solutions from satellite operators. The goal of this paper is to propose a cooperative framework that combines the Satellite Routing (i.e., mapping of beams to satellites) and Frequency Assignment (i.e., mapping of frequency spectrum to beams) strategies to mitigate self-interference both within and between satellites. This approach stands in contrast to current practices found in the literature, which address each problem independently and solely focus on intra-satellite interference. This study presents a novel methodology for addressing the Satellite Routing problem, specifically tailored for modern constellations to maximize capacity while effectively mitigating self-interference through the use of Integer Optimization. By combining this method with established Frequency Assignment techniques, the results demonstrate an increase in throughput of up to 138% for constellations such as SpaceX Starlink. Notably, the study reveals that relying on individual approaches to tackle interference may lead to undesired outcomes, underscoring the advantages of a cooperative framework. Through simulations, the study highlights the practicality and applicability of the proposed method under realistic operational conditions.