The Review of Methods for Operational Planning of Heterogeneous Orbital Constellations of Earth Remote Sensing and Communication Satellites

This study provides a review of existing scientific works on the problem of scheduling heterogeneous orbital constellations. The relevance of planning the operation of such constellations is driven by several factors related to the rapid development of space technologies and the increasing number of satellites in orbit. Modern orbital constellations consist of spacecraft of various types designed to perform different tasks: Earth remote sensing, communications, navigation, and others. These satellites may belong to different opera tors and have varying technical specifications, which makes their efficient utilization extremely complex and labor-intensive. Furthermore, the planning of heterogeneous constellations is particularly relevant in the context of the growing number of commercial and government satellites, creating high competition for space resources. Rational planning enables minimizing costs, improving the quality of services provided, and enhancing the safety of spacecraft operations. In this regard, there has been a rapid increase recently in the number of spacecraft scheduling methods that can effectively account for the heterogeneity of orbital constellations and ensure their coordinated operation. This work continues the previously conducted review of publications released up to 2019 and focuses on the development of methods over the last five years, from 2019 to 2024. The study formulates the task of creating a digital platform that manages orbital constellations from different manufacturers to fulfill requests from users. An analysis of existing approaches to planning spacecraft constellations is carried out, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, as well as evaluating their practical feasibility for solving the stated task. Based on the results of the analysis, conclusions are drawn regarding the need to develop a new approach to scheduling the operation of orbital constellations. Proposals are made for further research and development of methods and tools for spacecraft scheduling.

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