HETEROGENEOUS CONSTELLATION DESIGN METHODOLOGY APPLIED TO A MARS-ORBITING COMMUNICATIONS AND POSITIONING CONSTELLATION

This research develops software that applies model-based systems engineering design optimization to the problem of satellite constellation design. The software uses a genetic algorithm solver to generate and evaluate candidate solutions to a set of user-defined missions given allowable ranges of satellite and orbital parameters. The methodology allows for the comparison of single-satellite constellations and disaggregated heterogeneous constellations. As a sample case, the problem of designing a Mars-orbiting position, navigation, timing, voice communications, and data relay constellation is examined. The optimization determined that a highly inclined Walker Delta constellation of forty-five multifunction satellites was the best solution.