Cooperative Design of Dual-Layer LEO Satellite Constellation Based on Diversified QoS Requirements and Seamless Multi-Coverage

Satellite constellation design is crucial to meet the increasing demand for seamless global coverage. In this paper, we propose a dual-layer satellite constellation with satellites deployed collaboratively in different orbital altitudes and inclinations to achieve enhanced coverage while avoiding resource redundancy and cost surges caused by single-layer constellation deployment. Firstly, by deriving the coverage of the Walker constellation, we design the minimum number of satellites in a single orbit to achieve maximum continuous coverage. Subsequently, we study how orbital parameters affect coverage performance, user requirements, and satellite lifetime. We aim to design a dual-layer satellite constellation by leveraging different orbital altitudes, inclinations, and other key parameters. Additionally, we analyze the cost constraints and utilize an adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to address the multi-objective optimization constellation design problem. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of our dual-layer satellite constellation in achieving seamless global coverage, particularly in enhancing coverage in mid-latitude and low-latitude hotspots. Moreover, the dual-layer constellation can increase capacity with fewer satellites, meet quality of service (QoS) requirements, and reduce deployment costs.