Non-functional certification of edge-computing satellite systems

Satellite telecommunication networks are playing an increasingly pivotal role in modern communication infrastructures, owing to their expansive coverage, high reliability, and growing capabilities in computing, storage, and bandwidth. In response to evolving market demands, mobile network operators are progressively integrating satellite systems with edge-cloud computing platforms to deliver advanced networking functionalities within a unified architecture. This integration places strong demands on the non-functional assessment (e.g., reliability, availability, and resource efficiency) of satellite-based edge nodes, introducing unprecedented challenges due to their unique operational constraints. In this paper, we propose a lightweight certification framework tailored for satellite computing systems, designed to assess and validate the non-functional posture of satellite edge networks. Our approach explicitly addresses the distinctive characteristics of satellite environments, including intermittent connectivity and constrained resource availability. We validate the proposed scheme through a realistic testbed implementation, modeling a 5G-enabled satellite edge node based on the Tiansuan satellite constellation, an experimental platform jointly developed by Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Spacety, and Peking University.