Cooperative scanning performance analysis in point-to-multipoint laser communication systems

With the rapid increase in information capacity demands for constellation-based space networks, there is a pressing need to establish a global network system to accommodate this growing communication need. Laser communication, capable of high-speed and massive data transmission, allows each node in the network to communicate with multiple nodes simultaneously and maintain multiple communication links. The evolution from point-to-point to multipoint-to-multipoint communication has become a trend, necessitating a change in traditional pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) processes. This paper proposes a cooperative scanning method and performance model adapted to space laser communication network systems. Through modeling and analysis, it is demonstrated that multi-beam cooperative scanning can significantly reduce scanning time. This method effectively decreases the time required to establish laser links in inter-satellite networking scenarios, providing a basis for performance analysis of pointing, acquisition, and tracking systems in inter-satellite laser communication network scenarios.