We investigate massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink (DL) transmission for multiple low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems. We establish the signal and channel models, and reveal that the signals received by each user terminal (UT) are typically asynchronous in time and frequency. We propose a spatial linear receive processing for signal extraction and perform time and frequency compensations at each UT to achieve synchronized signal. We show that the single data stream transmission from each satellite to each UT is optimal to maximize the ergodic sum rate. Therefore, without loss of optimality, we can reduce the joint design of transmit covariance matrices and receive vectors for spatial linear processing to that of the precoding vectors and receive vectors, which we refer to as joint precoder and receiver design (JPRD). We devise a weighted minimum mean-square error (WMMSE) based JPRD algorithm by using the statistical channel state information. Simulation results validate the proposed approaches.

We investigate massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink (DL) transmission for multiple low-earth-orbit satellite communication systems. We establish the signal and channel models, and reveal that the signals received by each user terminal (UT) are typically asynchronous in time and frequency. We propose a spatial linear receive processing for signal extraction and perform time and frequency compensations at each UT to achieve synchronized signal. We prove that the single data stream transmission from each satellite to each UT is optimal to maximize the ergodic sum rate. Therefore, without loss of optimality, we can reduce the joint design of the transmit covariance matrices and receive vectors for spatial linear processing to that of the precoding vectors and receive vectors, which we refer to as joint precoder and receiver design (JPRD). We devise a weighted minimum mean-square error (WMMSE) based JPRD algorithm by using the statistical channel state information. Further, we approximate the optimal design with an ergodic sum rate upper bound, for which the optimality of single data stream transmission still holds. We derive a condition under which the inter-satellite interference can be eliminated, and develop a low-complexity WMMSE based JPRD algorithm with the upper bound. Simulation results validate the proposed approaches.

In this paper, we investigate the massive multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing channel estimation for low-earth-orbit satellite communication systems. First, we use the angle-delay domain channel to characterize the space-frequency domain channel. Then, we show that the asymptotic minimum mean square error (MMSE) of the channel estimation can be minimized if the array response vectors of the user terminals (UTs) that use the same pilot are orthogonal. Inspired by this, we design an efficient graph-based pilot allocation strategy to enhance the channel estimation performance. In addition, we devise a novel two-stage channel estimation (TSCE) approach, in which the received signals at the satellite are manipulated with per-subcarrier space domain processing followed by per-user frequency domain processing. Moreover, the space domain processing of each UT is shown to be identical for all the subcarriers, and an asymptotically optimal vector for the per-subcarrier space domain linear processing is derived. The frequency domain processing can be efficiently implemented by means of the fast Toeplitz system solver. Simulation results show that the proposed TSCE approach can achieve a near performance to the MMSE estimation with much lower complexity.

This paper investigates the downlink (DL) transmit design for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems, where only the slow-varying statistical channel state information is exploited at the transmitter. The channel model for the DL massive MIMO LEO satellite system is established, in which both the satellite and the user terminals (UTs) are equipped with uniform planar arrays. Observing the rank-one property of the channel matrices, we show that the single-stream precoding for each UT is the optimal choice that maximizes the ergodic sum rate. This favorable result simplifies the complicated design of transmit covariance matrices into that of precoding vectors without any loss of optimality. Then, an efficient algorithm is devised to compute the precoding vectors. Furthermore, we formulate an approximate transmit design based on the upper bound on the ergodic sum rate, for which the optimality of single-stream precoding still holds. We show that, in this case, the design of precoding vectors can be simplified into that of scalar variables, for which an effective algorithm is developed. In addition, a low-complexity learning framework is proposed for optimizing the scalar variables. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approaches can achieve significant performance gains over the existing schemes.

The massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission technology has recently attracted much attention in the non-geostationary, e.g., low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication (SATCOM) systems since it can significantly improve the energy efficiency (EE) and spectral efficiency. In this work, we develop a hybrid analog/digital precoding technique in the massive MIMO LEO SATCOM downlink, which reduces the onboard hardware complexity and power consumption. In the proposed scheme, the analog precoder is implemented via a more practical twin-resolution phase shifting (TRPS) network to make a meticulous tradeoff between the power consumption and array gain. In addition, we consider and study the impact of the distortion effect of the nonlinear power amplifiers (NPAs) in the system design. By jointly considering all the above factors, we propose an efficient algorithmic approach for the TRPS-based hybrid precoding problem with NPAs. Numerical results show the EE gains considering the nonlinear distortion and the performance superiority of the proposed TRPS-based hybrid precoding scheme over the baselines.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) is promising for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications due to the potential in enhancing the spectral efficiency. However, the conventional fully digital precoding architectures might lead to high implementation complexity and energy consumption. In this paper, hybrid analog/digital precoding solutions are developed for the downlink operation in LEO massive MIMO satellite communications, by exploiting the slow-varying statistical channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter. First, we formulate the hybrid precoder design as an energy efficiency (EE) maximization problem by considering both the continuous and discrete phase shift networks for implementing the analog precoder. The cases of both the fully and the partially connected architectures are considered. Since the EE optimization problem is nonconvex, it is in general difficult to solve. To make the EE maximization problem tractable, we apply a closed-form tight upper bound to approximate the ergodic rate. Then, we develop an efficient algorithm to obtain the fully digital precoders. Based on which, we further develop two different efficient algorithmic solutions to compute the hybrid precoders for the fully and the partially connected architectures, respectively. Simulation results show that the proposed approaches achieve significant EE performance gains over the existing baselines, especially when the discrete phase shift network is employed for analog precoding.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology has attracted much attention in low earth orbit (LEO) downlink satellite communication (SATCOM) systems recently since the energy efficiency (EE) and spectral efficiency can be significantly improved. In order to reduce the power consumption for the massive MIMO LEO SATCOM systems, we focus on the hybrid analog/digital architecture in this work. Considering the limited resolution of the phase shifters in practical MIMO SATCOM systems, a twin-resolution phase shifting (TRPS) network is proposed to make a meticulous tradeoff between the power consumption and array gains. In addition, we examine the impact of the distortion, introduced by the power amplifiers (PAs) to the system design, by considering nonlinear PA models. Moreover, we propose an efficient algorithm for TRPS-based hybrid precoding with nonlinear PAs. Numerical results show the EE gains considering nonlinear distortion and the performance superiority of the proposed hybrid architecture compared with the baselines.

We investigate the downlink (DL) transmit strategy for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communication (SATCOM) systems, in which only the slow-varying statistical channel state information is known at the transmitter side. First, we derive the massive MIMO LEO satellite channel model, when the uniform planar arrays are deployed at both the satellite and user terminals (UTs). Building on the rank-one property of the satellite channel matrices, we show that transmitting a single data stream to each UT is optimal in the sense that the ergodic sum rate is maximized. This result is of great importance for massive MIMO LEO SATCOM systems, since the sophisticated design of transmit covariance matrices is turned into that of precoding vectors, without loss of optimality. Furthermore, we develop an algorithm to compute the precoding vectors. Simulation results show the significant performance gains of the proposed approaches over the existing schemes.

Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications are expected to be incorporated in future wireless networks to provide global wireless access with enhanced data rates. Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques, though widely used in terrestrial communication systems, have not been applied to LEO satellite communication systems. In this paper, we propose a massive MIMO downlink (DL) transmission scheme with full frequency reuse (FFR) for LEO satellite communication systems by exploiting statistical channel state information (sCSI) at the transmitter. We first establish a massive MIMO channel model for LEO satellite communications and propose Doppler and time delay compensation techniques at user terminals (UTs). Then, we develop a closed-form low-complexity sCSI based DL precoder by maximizing the average signal-to-leakage-plus-noise ratio (ASLNR). Motivated by the DL ASLNR upper bound, we further propose a space angle based user grouping algorithm to schedule the served UTs into different groups, where each group of UTs use the same time and frequency resource. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed massive MIMO transmission scheme with FFR significantly enhances the data rate of LEO satellite communication systems.

Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications are expected to be incorporated in future wireless networks, in particular 5G and beyond networks, to provide global wireless access with enhanced data rates. Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques, though widely used in terrestrial communication systems, have not been applied to LEO satellite communication systems. In this paper, we propose a massive MIMO transmission scheme with full frequency reuse (FFR) for LEO satellite communication systems and exploit statistical channel state information (sCSI) to address the difficulty of obtaining instantaneous CSI (iCSI) at the transmitter. We first establish the massive MIMO channel model for LEO satellite communications and simplify the transmission designs via performing Doppler and delay compensations at user terminals (UTs). Then, we develop the low-complexity sCSI based downlink (DL) precoder and uplink (UL) receiver in closed-form, aiming to maximize the average signal-to-leakage-plus-noise ratio (ASLNR) and the average signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (ASINR), respectively. It is shown that the DL ASLNRs and UL ASINRs of all UTs reach their upper bounds under some channel condition. Motivated by this, we propose a space angle based user grouping (SAUG) algorithm to schedule the served UTs into different groups, where each group of UTs use the same time and frequency resource. The proposed algorithm is asymptotically optimal in the sense that the lower and upper bounds of the achievable rate coincide when the number of satellite antennas or UT groups is sufficiently large. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed massive MIMO transmission scheme with FFR significantly enhances the data rate of LEO satellite communication systems. Notably, the proposed sCSI based precoder and receiver achieve the similar performance with the iCSI based ones that are often infeasible in practice.

We investigate physical layer massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) multicasting transmit design with statistical channel state information at the base station. We first establish the relationship between the transmit design problems under the quality of service and max-min fair criteria. Then we focus on the transmit designs under the latter criterion. We show that the eigenvectors of optimal input covariance are given by the columns of the discrete Fourier transform matrix for the uniform linear array, which reveals the optimality of beam domain transmission in massive MIMO multicasting. We further propose a dual algorithm together with stochastic programming to specify the eigenvalues of input covariance. In addition, a simplified input covariance optimization by applying the deterministic equivalent technique is presented to reduce the complexity involved in stochastic programming. Simulation results demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithms.