Using Software Defined Network (SDN) in space systems gains
more focus nowadays. SDN can increase the reliability in satellite
communication. Many researchers concluded that using SDN in satellite
communication for both ground segment and space segment, improve
space system reliability. The satellite ground station network has been
always the backbone of the Space System. From this point of view, the
reliability and performance guarantee of this network is mandatory.
With the introduction of SDN in the field of satellite communications,
greater capabilities have been expected to be achieved, in addition to
the big reduction of operational and capital expenses in deploying and
management of satellite ground network equipment. In this paper, the
advantages of using SDN for handover between satellite ground stations
(Site Diversity) to ensure higher reliability for the system and to increase
its performance and throughput are discussed. Some scenarios have been
implemented and shown in this paper to demonstrate the great potential
of using SDN in ground stations handover and to help make decisions in
case of link anomalies.