Integrating Communication, Sensing and Computing in Satellite Internet of Things: Challenges and Opportunities

Satellite Internet of Things (IoT) requires the use of satellites as the access points for IoT devices for achieving global coverage of future IoT systems. It is expected to support burgeoning IoT applications, including communication, sensing, and computing. However, the complex and dynamic satellite environments and limited network resources raise new challenges in the design of satellite IoT systems. In this article, we focus on the joint design of communication, sensing, and computing to improve the performance of satellite IoT, which is quite different from that of terrestrial IoT systems. We describe how the integration of the three functions can enhance system capabilities, and summarize the state-of-the-art solutions. Furthermore, we discuss the main challenges of integrating communication, sensing, and computing in satellite IoT to be solved with pressing interest.