RF/Optical High Data Rates Intra/Inter-Orbit Satellites Links in Future NTNs

This paper addresses the feasibility, using either RF or optical technology, of high data rates (from 1Gbps to more than 10Gbps) intra-orbit and inter-orbit satellite links in future Non Terrestrial Networks. In the framework of the 3D Non Terrestrial Networks architectures consisting of different aerial nodes, the feasibility of high data rates links among satellites in the same orbits or different orbits enables novel communication architectures able to meet the more and more stringent communication requirements in terms of data rate, latency and service availability. This paper presents some of those architectures and presents a preliminary analysis of the feasibility of RF and/or optical links, highlighting the technological hurdles that must be overcome for each approach.