Poster Presentation at SNS4SNS in Sophia Antipolis

I traveled to Sophia Antipolis to present our poster at SNS4SNS:

“Rethinking NTN Architecture: Leveraging 6G-RUPA for Scalable and Energy-Efficient LEO Networks”

If you just want the key idea: we show how to make routing in LEO mega-constellations lighter-weight by replacing bulky, frequently changing IP forwarding state with a topological address that follows the constellation geometry.

The core of the research is about tackling the “power vs. performance” wall in satellite mega-constellations like Starlink. Here’s the quick breakdown of what I presented:

Why this matters #

LEO networks have an uncomfortable combination of constraints: fast topology changes, strict energy budgets, and a need to scale to very large constellations. Traditional IP-style routing can become too “heavy” in this setting because it relies on large forwarding tables and frequent updates to react to mobility.

What we propose #

We explore 6G-RUPA using topological addressing. Instead of treating each satellite as a fixed identifier that the network must constantly track, the address reflects a satellite’s position in the constellation graph (you can think of it as a “dynamic zip code” tied to the neighborhood).

What we observe #

Using our simulator LEOPath, we see that this approach can significantly reduce forwarding state while keeping the network stable as satellites move and links appear/disappear.

The trade-off #

The trade-off is that paths can be slightly longer in some cases, but the reduction in routing overhead and the energy/scalability benefits are compelling for future NTN designs.

Poster (PDF) #

It was great to discuss these trade-offs with the community in France. If you’d like more details (e.g., the hierarchical wrap-around distance formulas) or want to try LEOPath, feel free to reach out.