A Call for Decentralized Satellite Networks

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are emerging as key to robust global internet connectivity, especially in areas that lack adequate terrestrial connectivity either due to lack of financial viability or due to disruptions caused by wars and natural disasters. Yet, such LEO constellations are few in number and can arbitrarily turn off access in times of conflict. This has led to demands for independent satellite constellations by different countries and organizations. We argue that such independent constellations are impractical, wasteful, and unsustainable due to the orbital dynamics of LEO satellites. Instead, we propose multi-party decentralized constellations wherein different parties contribute a small number of satellites to a shared constellation. Such multiparty constellations are robust to a subset of participants backing out and reduce economic costs, capacity waste, and orbital occupancy. We discuss multiple technical developments that make such designs possible today and list open questions for further investigation.