Abstract—As tasks become more diverse and business volume

surges in satellite communication scenarios, improving the performance

and coordination capabilities of satellite communication

systems has become crucial. Satellite communications (SatComs)

are characterized by specialized tasks, orbital operation, extensive

coverage, and complex link environments. However, relying

on a single satellite can introduce performance bottlenecks and

coverage blind spots. To address these limitations, this paper

explores multi-satellite collaboration (MSC) within space information

networks. MSC defined as the coordinated operation of

two or more satellites within a given spatiotemporal region, with

or without ground node assistance, has therefore emerged as a

trans-formative paradigm to jointly accomplish specific missions.

First, we analyze the applicability boundaries of single-satellite

and MSC modes, highlighting the intrinsic advantages of collaborative

architectures for coverage enhancement and resilience.

Then, we comprehensively review key enabling technologies for

collaboration across various orbital scenarios, including intraorbit

and inter-orbit, as well as network formation and topology

construction, signal level, access level, link level, routing level, and

transmission resource allocation. We also discuss how emerging

technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cross-domain

integration, can improve MSC performance. The paper aims

to provide theoretical references and technical directions for

designing and optimizing future efficient and intelligent MSC

systems.