Integrated LEO Constellation and In‐Cabin Distribution System for Continuous Aircraft 5G Connectivity

ABSTRACT The integration of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations with commercial aircraft communication systems presents critical challenges in maintaining continuous connectivity during dynamic flight conditions. Current geostationary satellite systems suffer from high round‐trip latency ( 500 ms) and inadequate coverage at high latitudes, limiting their utility for modern aeronautical applications. This study presents an integrated aerospace systems architecture combining LEO satellite constellation management with in‐cabin signal distribution networks to achieve uninterrupted 5G connectivity for aircraft. A simulation framework incorporating orbital mechanics, adaptive handover algorithms, and 3GPP‐compliant ray tracing techniques evaluates system performance across transcontinental routes. Results demonstrate 97.78% connectivity reliability using sequential satellite insertion with 8–10 LEO satellites along a 2500‐km flight corridor, achieving handover success rates of 97.5% with execution times of 150–250 ms. In‐cabin signal analysis using distributed 48 MIMO antenna arrays achieves 58.55‐dB average path loss with 3.2‐dB standard deviation across passenger areas. Performance validation under extreme operational scenarios (transpolar routes, emergency descent, and takeoff/landing phases) confirms connectivity maintenance across all flight phases. These findings provide aerospace systems designers with quantitative performance metrics and architectural guidelines for next‐generation satellite‐based aircraft communication systems, addressing critical gaps in handover optimization, signal distribution, and operational robustness for commercial aviation applications.