Towards Resilient SDA: Graph Theory and Cooperative Control in Distributed Network Architectures

Abstract

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) involves the detection, tracking, and characterization of space objects through the fusion of data across the space environment. As SDA advances beyond localized or operator-specific capabilities, there is a growing reliance on in-domain space assets for real-time, distributed sensing and decision-making. This paper investigates the potential of on-orbit collaboration by enabling data sharing among heterogeneous satellites as actuators within a single orbital regime. Using graph-theoretic constructs, we define regions of spatial responsibility via Voronoi tessellations and model communication pathways between actuators using Delaunay triangulation. We apply this framework independently to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and analyze each to quantify structural properties relevant to efficient communication, cooperative control, and synchronization for SDA operations with the growth in deployments of space assets.