Task allocation in networks of satellites with Keplerian dynamics

The management of distributed satellite systems requires the coordination of a large number of heterogeneous spacecraft. Task allocation in such a system is complicated by limited communication and individual satellite dynamics. Previous work has shown that task allocation using a market-based mecha...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: van der Horst, Johannes (Author), Noble, Jason (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2012-01.
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Summary:The management of distributed satellite systems requires the coordination of a large number of heterogeneous spacecraft. Task allocation in such a system is complicated by limited communication and individual satellite dynamics. Previous work has shown that task allocation using a market-based mechanism can provide scalable and efficient management of static networks; in this paper we extend this work to determine the impact of dynamic topologies. We develop a Keplerian mobility model to describe the topology of the communication network over time. This movement model is then used in simulation to show that the task allocation mechanism does not show a significant decrease in effectiveness from the static case, reflecting the suitability of distributed market-based control to the highly dynamic environment.