Publications Conference paper · Orbital computing · 2026

MeteorNet: Continuous-Time Emulation Platform for Edge Intelligence in LEO Constellations

Juan A. Fraire, Camilo Rojas Milla, Fabio Patrone, and Mario Marchese

IEEE International Mediterranean Conference on Communications and Networking (MeditCom), pp. 1–6, 2026

Abstract

Mega-constellations of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are enabling a new Space Cloud paradigm in which edge servers hosted on-board process tasks autonomously, reducing ground-segment latency for globally dispersed users. Realizing this vision requires Collaborative Edge Intelligence (CEI): distributed algorithms that coordinate Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) server activation, task offloading, and routing across a time-varying orbital topology. Existing evaluation tools are inadequate—simulation platforms abstract away protocollevel behavior, while emulation testbeds lack orbital dynamics. This paper presents MeteorNet, an open-source, continuous-time emulation platform that integrates SGP4 orbital propagation, Mininet/ONOS network emulation, Docker-containerized MEC services, and MongoDB telemetry. Supporting eight orchestration strategies, including Fuzzy Logic and distributed Reinforcement Learning controllers, MeteorNet enables apples-to-apples CEI benchmarking under realistic orbital conditions. Experiments show that intelligent controllers halve the MEC activation cost at low load, while revealing an orbital-visibility bottleneck that limits task success at high load, regardless of the orchestration policy.

Cite

DOI 10.1109/meditcom67211.2026.11641012

BibTeX

@inproceedings{fraire2026meteornet,
  author    = {Fraire, Juan A. and Rojas Milla, Camilo and Patrone, Fabio and Marchese, Mario},
  title     = {{MeteorNet}: Continuous-Time Emulation Platform for Edge Intelligence in {LEO} Constellations},
  booktitle = {IEEE International Mediterranean Conference on Communications and Networking (MeditCom)},
  pages     = {1--6},
  year      = {2026},
  doi       = {10.1109/meditcom67211.2026.11641012}
}

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