Secure Satellite Communications via Multiple Aerial RISs: Joint Optimization of Reflection, Association, and Deployment
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Satellite communication is envisioned as a key enabler of future 6G networks, yet its wide coverage with high link attenuation poses significant challenges for physical layer security. In this paper, we investigate secure multi-beam, multi-group satellite communications assisted by aerial reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (ARISs). To maximize the sum of achievable multicast rates among the groups while constraining wiretap rates, we formulate a joint optimization problem involving transmission and reflection beamforming, ARIS-group association, and ARIS deployment. Due to the mixed-integral and non-convex nature of the formulated problem, we propose to decompose the problem and employ the block coordinate descent framework that iteratively solves the subproblems. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ARIS-assisted multi-beam satellite system provides a notable improvement in secure communication performance under various network scenarios, offering useful insights into the deployment and optimization of intelligent surfaces in future secure satellite networks.
Authors: Zhaole Wang, Naijin Liu, Xiao Tang, Shuai Yuan, Chenxi Wang, Zhi Zhai, Qinghe Du, Jinxin Liu
Institutions: Xi'an Jiaotong University, China Academy of Space Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G2000514598, G5776692792, G928520332
OpenAlex ID: W4414166106