Aerospace Communications and Networking in the Next Two Decades: Current Trends and Future Perspectives (Scanning the Issue)

Some experts share their views on the existing trends and future perspectives in the fields of aerospace communications and networking. The existing trends and future perspectives in these fields are highlighted, including satellites, high-altitude platforms (HAPs), optical deep-space communications, interplanetary communications, and aircraft communications. The integration of satellite and HAPs will increase coverage and capacity of aerospace segments, while the heterogeneity of wireless networking will have a relevant impact also on next-generation multimedia broadcast and multicast services due to the integration of satellite and wireless terrestrial and HAP-terrestrial segments. Future systems will be complex, integrated, multipurpose, multiuser, and flexible to be changed in short time according to dynamic strategies or tremendous emergencies.