A Review of Routing Technologies for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Networks: Dynamic Topology, Load Balancing, and QoS Assurance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/9e7x8w63Keywords:
LEO satellite network, Dynamic topology, Routing algorithm, Load balancing, QoS routingAbstract
Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks feature periodic topology changes, frequent inter-satellite link handovers, uneven traffic, and constrained onboard resources, making efficient routing challenging. This paper systematically reviews LEO satellite routing technologies. First, routing is formulated as a time-varying graph optimization problem involving delay, bandwidth utilization, reliability, and control overhead. Existing schemes are then classified into topology-driven conventional routing and traffic-, load-, and QoS-aware adaptive routing, with their principles, advantages, limitations, and application scenarios comparatively analyzed. The results indicate that LEO routing is shifting from topology-based connectivity maintenance to service-oriented resource orchestration. Future architectures should combine orbit-based topology prediction and route precomputation with real-time state sensing and localized adjustment, thereby balancing scalability, route stability, resource utilization, and differentiated QoS assurance under dynamic traffic conditions.
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