In our paper, we try to explore the applications of satellite communication networks (SCNs). We studied the application of channel models Rayleigh (Rlgh) distribution and Shadowed-Rician (SR) distribution to examine network performance across various conditions and parameters. We start by simply calculating the probability density function (PDF) and cumulative distribution function (CDF) and finding the closed-form derived expressions for the same. This is important to streamline the analysis process and ensure result accuracy. Further, we did an extensive analysis of SCN–SISO (single input single output) and multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems and also the cooperative configurations of these systems. Integrating Earth stations (SR-Rlgh) and satellites (Rlgh-Rlgh and SR-SR) as relays separately in cooperative networks introduced an added layer of complexity. This provided a more realistic representation of practical scenarios. The next task was to calculate the outage probability (OP) considering it as a key performance indicator. Through this it was seen that MIMO is better than MISO, MISO is better than SISO. These findings contribute to the SCN knowledge base, offering valuable insights for network design, optimization, and decision-making.