Spatial management of large constellations of small satellites

Abstract

The number of satellites in low Earth orbits is predicted to grow over 100,000 in the coming years due to the launch of planned satellite constellations which are often called mega-constellations because of their expected size. They are appealing mostly for global communications, Earth and space observation, as well as for global security and defense. Despite their attractiveness, implementation of satellite constellations is connected with many problems. Among these problems are the necessity of advanced inter-satellite links, onboard management, high-duty Earth terminals and gateways, avoidance of collisions with other satellites and debris, etc. Up to now, no system models and infrastructures have been offered for such large fleets of satellites. The paper summarizes the developed Spatial Grasp Model and Technology (SGT) and its high-level Spatial Grasp Language (SGL), and investigates their applicability for management of large satellite constellations. Embedding cooperating SGL interpreters into all satellites allows to convert the whole constellation into an intelligent system capable of solving numerous problems autonomously, reducing communication with complex ground antennas. The paper shows some basic operations on satellite constellations including broadcasting orders to the whole constellation, collecting information from all satellites and emergent restructuring of the whole constellation. Based on the experience with previous SGT versions, the approach based on virus-like coverage of large spaces allows to implement it even within university environments. Recursive scenarios in SGL are much more compact than under other approaches which may be important for reducing load and interference with other space communications.