Advancements in small satellites and launch technologies, as well as the emerging business model, have provided new possibilities for the success of mega-constellation networks (MCNs) in the 6G era. However, the substantial costs associated with the ground segment pose a significant challenge for developing commercial satellite constellations. While inter-satellite links (ISLs) have been adopted by many constellations for global connectivity, this article explores the potential of ISLs in reducing the cost of ground segments through a comprehensive techno-economic assessment of low Earth orbit MCNs. We first analyze the business model and markets to identify key characteristics and requirements for a successful MCN. Then, a detailed evaluation on cost efficiency, based on the investigation of capabilities of ISLs and the cost estimation of ground stations, reveals a significant improvement in cost efficiency through the adoption of multi-satellite collaboration via enhanced ISLs. Specifically, the evaluation shows that adopting high-rate optical ISLs can increase system throughput by more than three times, and reduce the cost of worldwide real-time transmission by approximately 69.4 percent compared to radio-frequency-based ones. Based on the observation, we propose the potential directions for enhancing the cost efficiency of MCNs to inspire and encourage further exploration.

中文翻译：

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多星协同的 LEO 巨型星座技术经济评估


小型卫星和发射技术的进步以及新兴的商业模式为巨型星座网络 （MCN） 在 6G 时代的成功提供了新的可能性。然而，与地面部分相关的大量成本对开发商业卫星星座构成了重大挑战。虽然许多星座已采用星间链路 （ISL） 进行全球连接，但本文通过对近地轨道 MCN 的全面技术经济评估，探讨了 ISL 在降低地面段成本方面的潜力。我们首先分析业务模式和市场，以确定成功的多频道网络的关键特征和要求。然后，根据对 ISL 能力的调查和地面站的成本估算，对成本效率进行详细评估，揭示了通过增强的 ISL 采用多卫星协作，成本效率得到了显著提高。具体来说，评估表明，与基于射频的 ISL 相比，采用高速光学 ISL 可以将系统吞吐量提高 3 倍以上，并将全球实时传输的成本降低约 69.4%。基于观察结果，我们提出了提高 MCN 成本效率的潜在方向，以激发和鼓励进一步探索。