Abstract Satellite communication is integral to modern communication systems, yet navigating the intricacies of routing in networks characterized by high loads and dynamic evolution poses a significant challenge. This research is dedicated to enhancing satellite communication routing algorithms, with the goal of bolstering network efficiency and amplifying the success rate of business transmissions. Our approach introduces an improved simulated annealing algorithm incorporating adaptive temperature control and innovative path neighborhood exploration strategies. This novel algorithm is adept at adjusting to ever-shifting network topologies and meeting various business requirements. Our simulation results reveal that this refined algorithm outperforms traditional annealing methods in several critical aspects. It elevates the success rate of business transmissions, reduces the average number of forwardings by 6.546% across various load scenarios, and diminishes system response time by 15.05%, thereby marking a substantial improvement in network performance.