Path Verification in LEO Satellite Networks

Emerging satellite Internet constellations such as SpaceX's Starlink deploy thousands of broadband satellites and construct LEO satellite networks (LSNs) in space, significantly expanding the boundaries of today's terrestrial Internet. However, due to the unique global LEO dynamics, satellite routers inevitably pass through uncontrolled areas, suffering from security threats. It is important for satellite network operators (SNOs) to enable verifiable risk- avoidance routing to identify path anomalies. This document specifies StarVeri, a network path verification framework tailored for emerging LSNs. StarVeri addresses the limitations of existing crypto-based and delay-based verification approaches and accomplishes efficient and accurate path verification through: (i) a segment-based verification protocol that divides paths into verifiable segments using dynamic satellite relays; and (ii) a hybrid verification approach combining cryptographic authentication with adaptive delay thresholds to verify each segment.