Satellite communications networking

A method for routing data in a satellite communications network, the satellite communications network including multiple satellites, individual ones of which are configured to establish one or more inter-satellite, wireless communications crosslinks with one or more corresponding others of the multiple satellites for transmitting data, the method comprising:

• storing, at a first one of the satellites, routing information that:
• identifies possible destinations within the satellite communications network to which to route transmissions from the first satellite, and
• defines, for each identified possible destination, multiple different routes for routing transmissions from the first satellite to the possible destination through one or more satellites and one or more corresponding crosslinks;
• receiving, at the first satellite, an indication of an issue impacting a particular crosslink between a second one of the satellites and a third one of the satellites;
• in response to receiving the indication of the issue impacting the particular crosslink, updating the routing information to associate routes defined in the routing information that include the particular crosslink with information reflecting the issue impacting the particular crosslink;
• receiving, at the first satellite, data to be transmitted from the first satellite to a particular one of the possible destinations within the satellite communications network;
• in response to receiving the data to be transmitted from the first satellite to the particular destination:
• accessing the updated routing information,
• identifying, within the accessed updated routing information, a set of routes defined in the routing information for routing transmissions from the first satellite to the particular destination, at least one constituent route within the set of routes being associated with information reflecting the issue impacting the particular crosslink,
• selecting, from the set of routes and with awareness of the at least one constituent route within the set of routes being associated with information reflecting the issue impacting the particular crosslink, a particular route for routing the data from the first satellite to the particular destination, and
• transmitting the data from the first satellite along at least a portion of the selected particular route.