Most space mission systems have historically used a single spacecraft designed to finish all the mission by itself. Whether it was a weather satellite or a human-crewed module reminiscent of Apollo, almost every spacecraft has deployed and accomplished its single mission entirely by itself.
But today, space industry organizations are exploring missions with multiple satellites working together. For example, SpaceX Starlink Constellations encompass 1000’s of satellites. And recent spacecraft may soon have the power to attach or engage other satellites in orbit to make repairs or refuel.
Some of those spacecraft are already in service and serving customers reminiscent of Northrop Grumman mission extension vehicleThis circling ship has prolonged the lifetime of many communication satellites.
These recent design options and in-orbit capabilities make space missions more like large-scale logistics operations on Earth.
We are researchers who studied the space industry for years. We have been investigating how the space sector could draw conclusions from corporations like Amazon and FedEx to manage complex fleets and coordinate operations.
Lessons from the Ground Transportation Network
Space mission designers plan routes to deliver payloads to the Moon or Mars or orbit efficiently inside a set of cost, schedule, and capability constraints. But when they need to coordinate multiple spacecraft working together, route planning can grow to be complicated.
Logistics corporations on Earth solve similar problems day-after-day and transport goods and raw materials all over the world. So scientists can study how these corporations manage their logistics to help space corporations and agencies learn find out how to effectively plan mission operations.
One NASA-funded study in the early twenty first century got here up with the thought of simulating space logistics operations. These researchers viewed orbits or planets as cities, and the trajectories connecting them as routes. They also viewed cargo, consumables, fuel, and other items to be transported as commodities.
This approach allowed them to have a look at the issue of space missions from a special perspective, treating it as a cargo flow problem—the sort of query that ground logistics corporations work on on a regular basis.
Lessons from Ground Logistics Infrastructure
New refueling options and repair of spaceships in orbit create recent opportunities, but additionally challenges.
Namely, space operators typically don’t know which satellite will fail next, or when. For these recent technologies to be useful, space mission designers would want to create an infrastructure system. This could appear to be a fleet of service vehicles and repositories in space that respond quickly to any unexpected events.
Fortunately, space mission designers can learn from ground-level operations. City planners and emergency response organizations take into consideration these sorts of challenges when determining where to locate hospitals or fire stations. They also consider the power of those facilities to answer unpredictable calls.
We can draw an analogy between the design of a ground logistics system and the design of an area service system. In this fashion, researchers can use theories developed for ground logistics to enhance the practice of space mission design.
One study published in November 2020 developed a framework for operating spacecraft in orbit using what logistics experts call spatial queue theory. Scientists most frequently use this modeling theory to investigate the performance of the bottom logistics system.
Lessons from Above Ground Warehouse Management
In the past, individual spacecraft carried out their missions independently, so if a satellite failed, the engineers liable for the mission needed to develop and send a alternative.
Now for multi-satellite missions like Iridium satellite constellationoperators often maintain a number of spares in orbit.
This becomes complicated for constellations of a whole lot or 1000’s of spacecraft. Mission designers wish to ensure they’ve enough spare satellites in orbit in order that they do not have to abort the mission if one goes down. But sending too many spare satellites gets expensive.
When coping with these kinds of large constellations, mission designers can learn from the methods Amazon and other ground-based corporations use to manage their warehouses. Amazon places these warehouses in specific locations and stocks them with specific items to ensure deliveries are handled efficiently.
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Putting inventory management theories into practice can help space corporations address these challenges.
Test published in November 2019 developed an approach that space corporations could use to manage their backup strategies. This approach could help them resolve where in orbit to allocate their backup satellites to satisfy their needs while minimizing any service disruptions.
International dimensions
Spacecraft operate in a complex and rapidly changing environment. Operators must know where other missions are operating and what rules they need to follow when refueling or repairing in space. But in space, nobody has yet defined these rules.
Ships, planes and ground vehicles have clear traffic rules to follow when interacting with other vehicles. For example, civilian ships and aircraft must share their location with other vehicles and officials to help manage traffic.
Some researchers are investigating what similar rules might appear to be in space. One study examined how developing rules based on a spacecraft’s size, age, or other attributes might help future space operations run more easily. For example, one rule is likely to be that a spacecraft that was launched most recently should take responsibility for maneuvering when one other ship is in its path.
As more satellites and spacecraft are launched than ever before, corporations and government agencies will need recent technologies and policies to coordinate them. As space activities grow to be more complex, scientists can proceed to use what they learn on the bottom to recent missions in space.
