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Aerospace
Special Issues
AI-Enabled Space Communications
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AI-Enabled Space Communications

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2026 | Viewed by 1977

Editors

Prof. Dr. Hong Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
Interests: physical layer security for wireless space network; AI enabled wireless network security
Dr. Lin Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Communication and Information Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
Interests: space communication; satellite communication (SatCom); 6G
Dr. Wenjing Hou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
Interests: wireless space resource management; distributed machine learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Space communication acts as an irreplaceable core link for space exploration, enabling real-time transmission of operational commands, scientific telemetry data and mission status between ground control centers and all space assets, including spacecraft, rovers and orbital stations, across lunar, planetary and deep-space missions. Specially, Satellite Wireless Communication (SatCom) is a foundational pillar of the integrated space–air–ground–sea (SAGS) connectivity network and a core enabler for 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) standards, 6G, global IoT and universal seamless communication, effectively addressing the coverage limitations of terrestrial wireless systems in remote, maritime and aerial areas. This Special Issue highlights the transformative integration of artificial intelligence and space communications, a cornerstone of 6G space–air–ground–sea integrated networks. Space communication systems face inherent challenges including dynamic channel conditions, LEO constellation management complexities and payload resource constraints—limitations that traditional methods struggle to address efficiently. AI technologies, from machine learning to reinforcement learning, are redefining core processes like intelligent signal processing, dynamic resource allocation, physical-layer security and autonomous satellite operation, unlocking unprecedented efficiency and adaptability. This issue features innovative research and practical innovations spanning algorithm design, on-board AI deployment and real-world performance validation. We thank all contributors and reviewers for their rigorous efforts; these works advance the state of the art and lay a solid foundation for the intelligent evolution of next-generation space communication systems.

We invite original research and high-quality review papers covering key subtopics, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Space communication novel architecture and key technologies through world models, large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI.
  2. Satellite wireless communication solutions for 6G and global seamless connectivity and AI cut-edge novel technologies.
  3. Optical space communication and AI-enabled novel technologies.
  4. Physical-layer transmission technologies for space communications (e.g., channel coding, modulation, beamforming and anti-interference design) that integrate the physical information signal process.
  5. Resource allocation and intelligent network architecture designs for integrated AI-enabled space communications.
  6. AI/ML and edge computing-enabled signal processing and performance optimization for space communications.
  7. Security and privacy protection mechanisms for satellite IoT and space communications.
  8. Communication protocols and coordination strategies for heterogeneous LEO/MEO/GEO satellite constellations.
  9. Space communication technologies for aerial, maritime and vehicular scenarios.
  10. Prototype development, field testing and performance validation of satellite wireless communication systems.
  11. AI-enabled satellite orbit accurate estimation and space communication applications.
  12. Commercialization and engineering application of space communication cut-edge technologies.

Prof. Dr. Hong Wen
Dr. Lin Hu
Dr. Wenjing Hou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • space communication
  • satellite communication (SatCom)
  • 6G
  • AI (artificial intelligence)
  • SAGS integrated network (Space-Air-Ground-Sea integrated network)
  • intelligent signal processing

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 5992 KB  
Article
Software Supply Chain Risk Precise Detection Method (SSCRPDM) Based on Dynamic Bytecode Instrumentation
by Rui Guo, Najinsha Hu, Yizhi Ma, Zihan Huang, Fengwei Peng, Gang Li and Guangjun Wen
Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080683 - 29 Jul 2026
Viewed by 321
Abstract
With the increasing softwarization of satellite payloads and the evolution of 6G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), securing the onboard software supply chain has become critical for mission-critical space communications. Traditional static software composition analysis (SCA) often generates excessive false positives in resource-constrained satellite environments. [...] Read more.
With the increasing softwarization of satellite payloads and the evolution of 6G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), securing the onboard software supply chain has become critical for mission-critical space communications. Traditional static software composition analysis (SCA) often generates excessive false positives in resource-constrained satellite environments. To address this issue, this paper proposes SSCRPDM, a CVE-oriented static–dynamic risk detection method based on bytecode instrumentation. SSCRPDM parses CVE semantics to guide function-level minimal instrumentation, quantifies risk by jointly considering runtime reachability, parameter controllability, and sanitizer effectiveness, and employs deterministic proof-of-concept (PoC) verification as the primary decision mechanism, with a large language model used only for auxiliary interpretation. Specifically, SCA first identifies components containing known vulnerabilities. Runtime instrumentation then traces critical invocation paths and verifies the reachability of vulnerable functions. Finally, CVE-specific PoC payloads are executed under the current defense context to determine actual exploitability. Experimental results show that SSCRPDM effectively filters alerts caused by “zombie components” and significantly improves evaluation accuracy through exploitability verification. By bridging static version matching and dynamic threat validation, SSCRPDM substantially reduces false positives and provides a precise and proactive solution for satellite software supply chain governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI-Enabled Space Communications)
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19 pages, 9580 KB  
Article
A Low-Complexity Real-Time Video Streaming Encryption Algorithm for Resource-Constrained LEO Satellites
by Wenyu Xu, Xiaoyuan Yang and Nanhao Liang
Aerospace 2026, 13(7), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070618 - 7 Jul 2026
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are increasingly required to process and securely stream video data for remote sensing, surveillance, and onboard perception applications. However, the strict constraints of onboard computing capability, power budget, and thermal dissipation make conventional encryption schemes difficult to apply [...] Read more.
Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are increasingly required to process and securely stream video data for remote sensing, surveillance, and onboard perception applications. However, the strict constraints of onboard computing capability, power budget, and thermal dissipation make conventional encryption schemes difficult to apply to real-time video streaming tasks. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a low-complexity real-time video encryption algorithm for resource-constrained LEO satellites. The proposed method integrates selective encryption with a lightweight permutation–diffusion mechanism to reduce computational overhead while maintaining effective protection of continuous video streams. To enhance security, a chaotic pseudo-random sequence generator is employed to improve encryption randomness, and a dynamic key scheduling strategy is introduced to increase temporal key variability and strengthen resistance to statistical and differential attacks across successive frames. The algorithm is further designed for efficient deployment on embedded onboard platforms with limited hardware resources. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves favorable performance in encryption speed, computational complexity, information entropy, adjacent pixel correlation, and differential attack resistance. Compared with conventional full-encryption methods, the proposed algorithm offers a more balanced trade-off between security and real-time efficiency, demonstrating its potential for secure video streaming in resource-constrained LEO satellite systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI-Enabled Space Communications)
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32 pages, 31932 KB  
Article
A Reliable IPv6 Access and Transmission Method for Spaceborne Platforms Without Physical Ethernet Interfaces
by Pengfei Zhang, Lianguo Wang, Enshi Li, Jianing Rao, Jianzhe Zhang, Miao Ma and Wenjie Zhao
Aerospace 2026, 13(7), 594; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13070594 - 30 Jun 2026
Viewed by 258
Abstract
With the development of space-based cloud computing and on-orbit intelligent processing, higher requirements have been imposed on standardized network interconnection for spaceborne platforms. However, constrained by size, power consumption, thermal design, and structural layout, some spaceborne platforms lack physical Ethernet interfaces and therefore [...] Read more.
With the development of space-based cloud computing and on-orbit intelligent processing, higher requirements have been imposed on standardized network interconnection for spaceborne platforms. However, constrained by size, power consumption, thermal design, and structural layout, some spaceborne platforms lack physical Ethernet interfaces and therefore cannot directly support standard Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) communications. In addition, harsh spaceborne operating conditions, including thermal-vacuum stress and potential radiation-induced disturbances, increase the risk of link anomalies, state inconsistency, and service interruption. To address these issues, this paper proposes a reliability-enhanced IPv6 access and transmission method for spaceborne platforms without physical Ethernet interfaces. On the processor side, a network TAP interface is established to reconstruct the semantics of a standard Layer-2 network device. Combined with a cooperative central processing unit–field-programmable gate array (CPU–FPGA) link-carrying mechanism, the proposed method enables transparent IPv6 access without modifying the native Linux protocol stack. To satisfy both standard spacecraft onboard network services and high-throughput engineering data transmission, a dual-channel architecture is designed, in which the service network channel is separated from the engineering data channel. In addition, a hierarchical reliability-oriented mechanism is constructed, consisting of hardware-level fault-tolerance design, reliable link interaction, status monitoring, and redundancy takeover. Experimental validation is conducted on a CPU-FPGA prototype platform under a thermal-vacuum environment and representative abnormal operating scenarios. The results show that the proposed method can stably support IPv6 address configuration, neighbor discovery, and end-to-end communication. Under zero-packet-loss conditions, the service network channel achieves an average stable throughput of 173.8 Mb/s, while the engineering data channel achieves a stable throughput of approximately 3.4 Gb/s. The system also demonstrates good service continuity during long-duration operation and under typical abnormal scenarios. The proposed method provides a verifiable system-level solution for realizing standardized IPv6 network access and reliability-enhanced data transmission on interface-constrained spaceborne platforms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI-Enabled Space Communications)
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20 pages, 2549 KB  
Article
Edge-Based Intelligent Task Management for Mobile Airfield Lighting Control
by Li Jiang, Hong Wen, Wenjing Hou and Fan Sun
Aerospace 2026, 13(5), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13050424 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 562
Abstract
Airfield lighting control (ALC) is critical for ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant airport operations, especially under low-visibility conditions. However, current centralized control architectures cannot adequately meet the real-time responsiveness, scalability, and reliability requirements of Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) Level [...] Read more.
Airfield lighting control (ALC) is critical for ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant airport operations, especially under low-visibility conditions. However, current centralized control architectures cannot adequately meet the real-time responsiveness, scalability, and reliability requirements of Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) Level IV. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes a novel cloud–edge–end collaborative architecture for a mobile ALC scenario, in which we formulate a joint task computing and energy consumption optimization problem to maximize long-term system utility under latency, computation, and communication constraints. In this way, the mobile airfield lighting (MAL) system can also quickly adapt its optimal formation pattern based on the airport environment, lighting conditions, and the type of aircraft taking off or landing via efficient computation, thereby achieving the best navigational assistance effect. For solving such an optimization problem, a framework that combines K-medoids with the Improved Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (ITD3) is proposed to integrate the efficiency of clustering for rough allocation and the high-precision dynamic optimization capability of the improved TD3. The training depends on edge nodes and the cloud to achieve online performance. Finally, the extensive simulation proved that our novel algorithm is efficient. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI-Enabled Space Communications)
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