Orbit Aware-Based Satellite Selection Method for Reducing Handover Frequency in LEO Satellite Networks

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks, represented by Starlink, have rapidly advanced as communication solutions for unconnected regions and during disaster scenarios. However, related studies have reported that communication via Starlink experiences significant performance degradation due to link quality fluctuations caused by frequent handovers. Moreover, since Starlink employs a proprietary communication system, existing research has mainly focused on end-to-end performance evaluation, while its internal route selection mechanisms remain undisclosed. To address this, we simulate both current and future Starlink environments using the ns-3 LEO module and evaluate the impact of satellite selection methods on communication performance in LEO satellite networks. This study proposes a satellite selection method that predicts the satellite trajectory based on the variation in RTT, enabling the selection of satellites capable of providing longer communication durations. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified using two key performance metrics: communication duration per satellite and route establishment success rate, which have been challenges in previous studies. As a result, the proposed method demonstrated up to 98.4% of the theoretical maximum performance, achieving both stable route establishment and extended communication duration.