Satellite scheduling considering maximum observation coverage time and minimum orbital transfer fuel cost

Abstract

In case of an emergency like the Wenchuan earthquake, it is impossible to observe a given target on earth by immediately launching new satellites. There is an urgent need for efficient satellite scheduling within a limited time period, so we must find a way to reasonably utilize the existing satellites to rapidly image the affected area during a short time period. Generally, the main consideration in orbit design is satellite coverage with the subsatellite nadir point as a standard of reference. Two factors must be taken into consideration simultaneously in orbit design, i.e., the maximum observation coverage time and the minimum orbital transfer fuel cost. The local time of visiting the given observation sites must satisfy the solar radiation requirement. When calculating the operational orbit elements as optimal parameters to be evaluated, we obtain the minimum objective function by comparing the results derived from the primer vector theory with those derived from the Hohmann transfer because the operational orbit for observing the disaster area with impulse maneuvers is considered in this paper. The primer vector theory is utilized to optimize the transfer trajectory with three impulses and the Hohmann transfer is utilized for coplanar and small inclination of non-coplanar cases. Finally, we applied this method in a simulation of the rescue mission at Wenchuan city. The results of optimizing orbit design with a hybrid PSO and DE algorithm show that the primer vector and Hohmann transfer theory proved to be effective methods for multi-object orbit optimization.