Reconfigurable Satellite Planning Tool

The capability to adaptively reconfigure on-orbit space assets to changing mission requirements will help to satisfy a critical need for greater responsiveness in the next generation of military space systems. This proposal is for an innovative methodology and supporting software toolset that permits a requirements-driven reconfiguration of one or multiple spacecraft. The product will be a decision-support tool that accepts dynamically changing mission requirements and priorities to support the warfighter''''s needs, and computes a set of configuration and tasking options along with associated analysis and verification tasks for operators and engineers. The full decision support tool will consist of three main components: 1) a customized user interface to facilitate the definition of new requirements, objectives and priorities, and the selection of space assets that may be utilized, 2) an optimal resource allocation algorithm that generates a list of potential operation plans, and 3) built-in tools for simulation, visualization and analysis of the proposed operation plans. The resource allocation algorithm will utilize state-of-the-art orbit propagation and system modeling functions, including the SPICE library and the Spacecraft Control Toolbox, in order to compute opportunity windows for remote sensing, communication, and data downloads, and to approximate power availability, pointing constraints, and communication requirements.