Topological analysis of networks composed of multiple satellites

A method of evaluating the topological quality of a multiple node satellite communication network is presented. The criteria for evaluation are network survivability and throughput. Nodal connectivity is used to characterize survivability, and mean path length is used to characterize throughput. The effects of nodal losses in a network consisting of a Walker low-orbit sphere and a geosynchronous constellation are examined. It is shown that the nodal degree of the failed node, and the distribution of links between the Walker sphere and the geosynchronous constellation, are the fundamental determinants of mean path length