New Optimization Algorithm Improves Ground Station Placement for Satellite Constellations
Researchers have developed SCORE, a two-stage optimization algorithm that identifies superior ground station locations for low-Earth orbit satellite networks by searching continuously across Earth's surface rather than selecting from predefined sites. The method addresses growing demands on terrestrial ground infrastructure as LEO satellite constellations rapidly expand. SCORE could meaningfully increase satellite downlink capacity while remaining practical by constraining new sites to areas near existing fiber and power infrastructure.
A research team has introduced SCORE (Sequential Cyclic Optimization via Refinement & Evaluation), a free-placement optimization method designed to improve ground station network design for low-Earth orbit satellite constellations. Unlike conventional approaches that select sites from a fixed list of existing locations, SCORE searches over a continuous spatial domain, broadening the solution space at the potential cost of requiring new infrastructure. The algorithm combines sequential coordinate selection with cyclic refinement to handle the high-dimensionality and non-convexity inherent in global placement problems. Benchmarked against differential evolution and integer programming methods using real-world site data from Kongsberg Satellite Services and the World Teleport Association, SCORE required up to five times fewer function evaluations to converge while improving downlink throughput by up to 13%. Tests were conducted across two commercial Earth observation constellations—Capella Space and ICEYE—and one synthetic Walker-Star constellation. An infrastructure-constrained variant of SCORE, which limits new sites to proximity of existing fiber and power assets, retained over 92% of the unconstrained throughput gains, making deployment more feasible. The work also examines trade-offs between expanding existing stations versus building new ones, offering practical guidance for operators planning future ground network upgrades.
What's missing
The study does not address the economic cost of deploying new ground stations under the unconstrained scenario, nor does it evaluate real-world regulatory or land-use constraints that could limit site selection beyond infrastructure proximity.
What different sources said
- arXiv cs.AICenter
Free-Placement Optimization of Ground Station Locations for Low-Earth Orbit Satellites
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