Aerial Assistant: Safeguarding Ground-to-Satellite Communication Networks

The ground-to-satellite communication network (G2SN) has highlighted the significance of constructing ubiquitous and seamless networks for the next-generation communication system. However, in the presence of secret eavesdroppers, securing massive transmission links is posing tremendous challenges for G2SNs. In this paper, we propose an aerial assistant scheme to safeguard legitimate transmissions in G2SNs, where multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are deployed between the ground users and the satellite. With the assistance of flexible UAVs and the directivity of directional antennas, the constructed link can significantly reduce the risk of wiretapping, resulting in the improvement of security. Furthermore, to evaluate the performance of G2SNs, we introduce the eavesdropping probability and link connectivity as metrics. With the comparison of the non-protection scheme, we validate the effectiveness of our aerial assistant scheme. Finally, we present useful insights into practical deployment by revealing the relationship between the performance and other parameters, such as antenna beamwidth, deployment height and density of UAVs.