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Optimal launch manifesting for heterogeneous disaggregated satellite constellations

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2017

Abstract

As interest for disaggregated satellite architectures increases, better analytic tools to evaluate the architectures are necessary. This research fills a void for launch vehicle selection capable of determining the optimal assignment for a heterogeneous, multiorbit, multifunction disaggregated satellite constellation. The novel approach successfully assigns a mix of satellites to launch vehicles and simultaneously assigns launch locations and orbits using a binary integer linear program optimally solved with CPLEX. Assumptions for each vehicle are captured. A superior level of precision is achieved by interpolation for the lift capacities of each vehicle. The formulation is applied to two different mission areas: weather and navigation. For the weather mission, the formulation was applied to a previously determined multiorbit, multifunction disaggregated design. The algorithm successfully assigned 12 satellites with two different masses in four different orbits to four launch vehicles: ridesharing heterogeneous satellites going to the same orbit. The navigation mission application successfully demonstrated optimal launch manifests for 11 variations in configuration, mass, and orbit of homogeneous disaggregated navigation designs.

Comments

This article is published by AIAA and is available by subscription or purchase at the DOI link below.

Author note: Lyndsey Buckle was an AFIT graduate student at the time of this article's publication.

Source Publication

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets ( ISSN 0022-4650 | eISSN 1533-6794)

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