Yasin Tamer

Date of Award

12-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

First Advisor

Andrew S. Keys, PhD

Abstract

Satellite constellation design is a complex, highly constrained, and multidisciplinary problem. Unless optimization tools are used, tradeoffs must be conducted at the subsystem level resulting in feasible, but not necessarily optimal, system designs. As satellite technology advances, new methods to optimize the system objectives are developed. This study is based on the development of a representative regional remote sensing constellation design. This thesis analyses the design process of an electrooptic satellite constellation with regional coverage considerations using system-level optimization tools. A multi objective genetic algorithm method is used to optimize the constellation design by utilizing MATLAB and STK integration. Cost, spatial resolution, and coverage are computed as objective functions. A single variable Space Telescope Cost Model is used to determine the system cost. The search parameters of the optimization method are the 6 classical orbital elements, Walker constellation parameters such as number of planes and number of satellites per plane, and the sensor diameter length as the driving variable for the cost model. The results from this model will provide a trade-space for the baseline satellite design based on the sensor’s diameter length and cost, versus mission requirements. Resulting tradeoffs allow decision makers to have a broad perspective of constellation usage for remote sensing missions for their preferences.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENY-MS-20-D-071

DTIC Accession Number

AD1129222

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