Earth Observing Satellite Orbit Design Via Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract

Designing the orbit of an Earth observing satellite is generally tedious work. Typically, a large number of numerical coverage simulations are run to understand the impact of orbital parameters on sensor performance and coverage characteristics. There is little guarantee of determining the optimal orbit for a given mission. Some work has been done to wrap an optimization loop around traditional numerical coverage simulations; however, the computational resources necessary for this can be prohibitive. A methodology of determining optimal orbital characteristics without requiring a large amount of computing is presented. Several existing methods are used to calculate an approximation to total pass time and average number of passes per day given a satellite s orbital altitude and inclination. These are used along with particle swarm optimization to determine optimal orbit parameters. This methodology only pertains to a single satellite in a circular orbit.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA625084

Entities

People

  • John G. Warner
  • Sharon Vtipil

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aeronautics
  • Algorithms
  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Astronautics
  • Circular Orbits
  • Computations
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Elevation
  • Genetic Algorithms
  • Latitude
  • Optimization
  • Orbits
  • Particle Swarm Optimization
  • Particles
  • Satellite Orbits
  • Simulations

Readers

  • Applied Combinatorial Optimization and Logic Circuit Design.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers