Satellite-based content delivery network (CDN) in an extraterrestrial environment

A low earth orbit (LEO) vehicle in a first orbit, the LEO vehicle comprising:

• a storage device;
• a processor coupled to the storage device;
• an intra-satellite wireless interface comprising a first transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to establish a first point-to-point (P2P) link between the first transceiver and a second transceiver of a second LEO vehicle;
• an uplink wireless interface comprising a third transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to establish a second P2P link between the third transceiver and a fourth transceiver of a geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) satellite located in a second orbit higher than the first orbit;
• and
• a downlink wireless interface comprising a fifth transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to establish a third downlink between the fifth transceiver and a sixth transceiver of a terminal device located on earth, wherein the processor is configured to:
• receive a request for a content item from the terminal device;
• determine that the content item is not available in the storage device and perform one of:
• (i) request the content item from the second LEO vehicle via the first P2P link;
• or
• (ii) request the content item from the GEO satellite via the second P2P link;
• and
• deliver the content item to the terminal device via the third downlink.

A satellite in a first orbit, satellite comprising:

• a storage device;
• a processor coupled to the storage device;
• a first transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to establish a first point-to-point (P2P) link between the first transceiver and a second transceiver of a second device in the first orbit;
• a third transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to establish a second P2P link between the third transceiver and a fourth transceiver of a third device in a second orbit that is higher than the first orbit;
• and
• a fifth transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is to establish at least one of a third P2P link between the fifth transceiver and a sixth transceiver of a terminal device located on earth or a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) link between the fifth transceiver and transceivers of at least two terminal devices located on earth, wherein the processor is configured to:
• receive a request for a content item;
• determine that the content item is not available in the storage device and perform one of:
• (iii) request the content item from the second device via the first P2P link;
• or
• (iv) request the content item from the third device via the second P2P link;
• and
• transmit the content item via at least one of the third P2P link or the P2MP link.