← Back to list of papers of the 2024 EuroGNC conference

CEAS EuroGNC 2024

On-Orbit Servicing Strategies for Large Constellations via Hybrid Dynamic Programming
Ignacio Betti Lhuillier Student, Cranfield University, School of Aerospace Transport and Manufacturing, MK43 0AL, Cranfield, United Kingdom.
Andrea Bellome Visiting Researcher, Cranfield University, Centre for Autonomous and Cyberphysical Systems, MK43 0AL, Cranfield, United Kingdom.
Leonard Felicetti Leonard Felicetti Senior Lecturer in Space Robotics and GNC, Cranfield University, Centre for Autonomous and Cyberphysical Systems, MK43 0AL, Cranfield, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The increasing number of mega-constellations in LEO is not only increasing the number of satellites in orbit but potentially might trigger an increment in the amount of space debris. On-orbit servicing is seen as a viable solution to minimize the number of launches needed to maintain these constellations and keep the debris levels low. This paper focuses on trajectory planning for On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) by presenting a novel methodology based on dynamic programming hybridized with deterministic tree search strategies. This is used to schedule the best path for spacecraft to visit satellites that need servicing (such as repair, refueling or repositioning). This methodology is then used to conduct Monte Carlo simulations to study how the main characteristics of the spacecraft affect the performance of the servicing operation. The presented study aims to find the optimal number of servicers needed, the ΔV required to perform the operations, and the time of flight between satellites.
Keywords: Dynamic Programming; Beam Search; Multi-target Mission Analysis; Monte Carlo; Tree Exploration
 View PDF CEAS-GNC-2024-011


Ignacio Betti Lhuillier, Andrea Bellome, Leonard Felicetti: On-Orbit Servicing Strategies for Large Constellations via Hybrid Dynamic Programming. Proceedings of the 2024 CEAS EuroGNC conference. Bristol, UK. June 2024. CEAS-GNC-2024-011.
BibTeX entry:

@Incollection{CEAS-GNC-2024-011,
    author = {Betti Lhuillier, Ignacio and Bellome, Andrea and Felicetti, Leonard},
    title = {On-Orbit Servicing Strategies for Large Constellations via Hybrid Dynamic Programming},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2024 {CEAS EuroGNC} conference},
    address = {Bristol, UK},
    month = jun,
    year = {2024},
    note = {CEAS-GNC-2024-011}
}