Performance evaluation of LEO satellite constellations with inter-satellite links under self-similar and poisson traffic

A real-time simulation study for the evaluation of traffic flow in low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, used for the interconnection of high-speed networks, is presented in this paper. The proposed model simulates the traffic process end to end at the packet level, supporting successfully the implementation of self-similar traffic sources, a modelling approach that has been considered more realistic than the well-known Poisson, for real-time communications. An in-depth study for the establishment of inter-satellite links (ISLs) and the design of the terrestrial and space segments is presented and the performance of the integrated system is evaluated in terms of delay and throughput parameters