Robustness Analysis of Mega-constellation Networks Against Node Attacks

Mega-constellation networks have received increasing attention in recent years. Network robustness is important for mega-constellation networks, but it is also difficult because satellites are expensive to maintain and reconfigure in outer space. This paper presents some network robustness evaluations on mega-constellation networks. Firstly, a definition of the importance metric of satellites is proposed based on traffic due to the difference between constellation networks and terrestrial networks. Based on this, three node attack strategies are defined to mimic actual attack behavior against mega-constellation networks. Simulations are implemented in three typical mega-constellation network models and the robustness is evaluated using a newly presented metric. The results show that the random attack strategy has a wider impact on mega-constellation networks, and the selective attacks may have a stronger impact on the network, which results in a greater packet loss ratio in mega-constellations.