Democratizing LEO Satellite Network Measurement

Abstract

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are quickly gaining traction with promises of impressively low latency, high bandwidth, and global reach. However, the research community knows relatively little about their operation and performance in practice. The obscurity is largely due to the high barrier of entry for measuring LEO networks, which requires deploying specialized hardware or recruiting large numbers of satellite Internet customers. In this paper, we introduce HitchHiking, a methodology that democratizes global visibility into LEO satellite networks. HitchHiking builds on the observation that Internet-exposed services that use LEO Internet can reveal satellite network architecture and performance, bypassing the need for specialized hardware. We evaluate HitchHiking against ground truth measurements and prior methods, showing that it provides more coverage and accuracy. With HitchHiking, we complete the largest study to date of Starlink network latency, measuring over 2,400 users across 13 countries. We uncover unexpected patterns in latency that surface how LEO routing is more complex than previously understood. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research on LEO networks.