Satellite Constellation Design: Integrating Orbital Mechanics and Optimization Models for Global Coverage

The growing demand for global connectivity, high data throughput, and low-latency communication has spurred interest in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. These constellations promise to revolutionize global communication, particularly in remote and underserved regions. This paper presents the design and optimization of an LEO satellite constellation aimed at providing global coverage while minimizing latency and maximizing data throughput. A mathematical model is developed to optimize key orbital parameters, including altitude, inclination angle, and satellite spacing. The Walker Delta constellation configuration is employed to achieve optimal coverage, redundancy, and minimal handover times. Link budget and power budget analyses are performed to assess system performance, and MATLAB simulations are conducted to evaluate the impact of various parameters on coverage, latency, throughput, and reliability. Results suggest that an optimal altitude range of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$600-800 ~\text{km}$</tex> and inclination near 80° provide the best balance between global coverage and low latency. This work offers valuable insights for the design of next-generation satellite networks and lays the foundation for real-time applications in space-based communications.