2026· IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials· Vol 28, pp. 6628-6664· 0 citations· 235 references
Computer Science
Abstract
Space Computing Power Networks (SCPNs), also termed as Satellite Comptuting Power Networks, as an integration of satellite networks, orbital computing, and terrestrial infrastructure, have been becoming an emerging architecture and attracting growing research attention during the past few years. Beyond meeting the differentiated intelligent communication, computing, and caching service requirements from users and terminals across space, air, ground, and sea, SCPNs hold significant importance for space exploration, earth observation, environment monitoring, remote user activities, and so on. There is no doubt that SCPNs will be the critical part of 6G to realize the ubiquitous and seamless intelligence. However, compared to traditional Terrestrial Computing Power Networks (TCPNs) and Satellite Computing Networks (SCNs), SCPNs holds the uniqueness, such as the cycled node movements, hierarchical network topology, extremely large network scalability, ubiquitous resource heterogeneity and constraints, and particular space computing environment. The system integration, protocol optimization, service orchestration, and sustainable operation of SCPN have inspired many meaningful research and projects. Considering existing survey papers mainly focus on scenarios of TCPNs carrying large-scale and complex computing tasks, this paper presents a comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art research on SCPN, covering various aspects ranging from system architecture, applications and challenges, and diversified Quality of Service (QoS) metric analysis and optimization. Finally, a number of potential future research directions have also been discussed to enlighten more innovative works.
High-altitude platforms (HAPs) are emerging as persistent middle-layer infrastructures for space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGINs), offering a favorable compromise among coverage, latency, endurance, and deployment flexibility. Their role, however, is evolving beyond communication relaying toward the joint provision of sensing, storage, communication, computing, and intelligence (S^2C^2I). This survey presents a unified HAP-centric perspective on S^2C^2I integration. We first review HAP fundamentals, platform categories, and their principal roles in SAGINs, including wide-area access, relaying, backhaul, edge service, low-altitude aerial coordination, and cross-layer orchestration. We then develop an integrated architecture spanning multi-plane connectivity, payload functional splits, and a cloud-edge-HAP space continuum with hierarchical data, control, computing, and storage loops. The enabling technologies are systematically examined, covering heterogeneous RF, millimeter-wave, terahertz, free-space optical, and hybrid links; sensing payloads and integrated sensing and communication; onboard computing; storage and caching; and AI-based orchestration. We further synthesize standardization progress, open software and datasets, testbeds, field evidence, and a four-level evaluation methodology ranging from component validation to mission-level effectiveness. An emergency-response case study demonstrates that joint S^2C^2I orchestration substantially improves conjunctive service availability while reducing feeder-link traffic. Finally, we identify research opportunities in agentic AI, trustworthy autonomy, goal-oriented semantic operation and digital twins, and sustainable, certifiable, and open HAP-native systems. The resulting synthesis provides a coherent roadmap from platform design to network-wide deployment.
A comprehensive and structured review of methods for MACNs, with particular emphasis on AI-driven solutions and their relationship to classical and hybrid alternatives, and offers insights into the design of AI-driven MACNs that are efficient, scalable, and adaptive to evolving network and service demands.
Shafkat Khan Siam, Muhammad Yeasir Arafat, Muhammad Morshed Alam et al.· Artificial Intelligence Revi...· 0 citations
Deep Space Communication (DSC) is a critical enabler for reliable data exchange between Earth-based infrastructure and spacecraft operating beyond lunar orbit. This paper presents a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of DSC systems, encompassing architectural foundations, enabling technologies, and emerging research challenges. In particular, the structure and operation of Deep Space Communication Networks (DSCNs) are examined, highlighting the functional interactions among deep space stations, communication complexes, signal processing centers, and mission control centers under severe propagation delays and intermittent connectivity. The paper provides a systematic review of traditional Radio Frequency (RF) communication and emerging Free-Space Optical (FSO) technologies, including hybrid RF/FSO architectures, and analyzes their trade-offs in terms of robustness, bandwidth efficiency, power consumption, and operational complexity. Recent mission demonstrations and international technology roadmaps are discussed to illustrate the ongoing transition toward high-capacity optical links for future lunar, Martian, and deep-space missions. Furthermore, advances at the physical and link layers are surveyed, covering modulation techniques, forward error correction schemes, and adaptive link optimization, with particular emphasis on Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes, Polar codes, hybrid forward error correction (FEC) schemes, and Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) for operation under low signal-to-noise ratios and time-varying channels. At the networking layer, the paper reviews Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standards and Delay/Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols, identifying key open research challenges related to scalability, routing, buffering, quality-of-service support, and autonomous operation. By integrating physical-layer technologies, networking protocols, and system-level considerations, this work outlines emerging trends, including AI-native communication architectures, that are expected to shape the design of scalable, autonomous, and interoperable interplanetary communication networks.
Maryam Alshehhi, Doaa Mahmoud, Sara N. Ahmad et al.· IEEE Open Journal of the Com...· 0 citations
MEC is validated as a key enabling complementary technology for 6G networks with its supporting use cases for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC); and the paper also reveals open research challenges in adaptive resource allocation, security and AI-based orchestration for future edge architectures in 6G.
Jayant Pratap, Amandeep, Dharmender Kumar, Suraj S· International Journal of Adv...· 0 citations
The evaluation of the proposed architecture through analytical models and simulation-based evaluations shows that the proposed architecture can reduce the latency onto 65 percent of the time relative to the conventional cloud-based architecture, affirm the claim that edge computing is an essential enabler of the next-generation applications that demand deterministic response time, high reliability and localized intelligence.
Priya Natarajan· International Journal of Mod...· 0 citations
The vision of coordinated space-based WPT, where multiple satellites jointly serve networks of ground devices and meetasurfaces on satellite apertures and ground networks to boost energy conversion efficiency, scalability, and beam management is introduced.
O. M. Rosabal, Amirhossein Azarbahram, Mateen Ashraf et al.· 0 citations
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