Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are quickly gaining traction with promises of impressively low latency, high bandwidth, and global reach. However, the research community knows relatively little about their operation and performance in practice. The obscurity is largely due to the high barrier of entry for measuring LEO networks, which requires deploying specialized hardware or recruiting large numbers of satellite Internet customers. In this paper, we introduce HitchHiking, a methodology that democratizes global visibility into LEO satellite networks. HitchHiking builds on the observation that Internet-exposed services that use LEO Internet can reveal satellite network architecture and performance, bypassing the need for specialized hardware. We evaluate HitchHiking against ground truth measurements and prior methods, showing that it provides more coverage and accuracy. With HitchHiking, we complete the largest study to date of Starlink network latency, measuring over 2,400 users across 13 countries. We uncover unexpected patterns in latency that surface how LEO routing is more complex than previously understood. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future research on LEO networks.

翻译：低地球轨道（LEO）卫星网络凭借其极低延迟、高带宽和全球覆盖的承诺正迅速获得关注。然而，研究界对其实际运行和性能表现知之甚少。这种信息不透明主要源于LEO网络测量存在高门槛——需要部署专用硬件或招募大量卫星互联网用户。本文提出HitchHiking方法，旨在实现LEO卫星网络全球可见性的民主化。HitchHiking建立在以下观察之上：使用LEO互联网的公共网络服务能够揭示卫星网络架构与性能特征，从而无需专用硬件。我们通过与真实地面测量数据及先前方法的对比评估表明，该方法具备更高的覆盖范围与准确度。借助HitchHiking，我们完成了迄今最大规模的Starlink网络延迟研究，测量了横跨13个国家的2400余位用户。研究发现出乎意料的延迟模式，揭示了LEO路由复杂度远超此前认知。最后，我们为LEO网络的未来研究提出了建议。