A Novel Ground-Based Maneuver Automation System for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operations

Planet operates around 20 high-resolution Earth observation satellites, known as SkySats, that execute maneuvers for station-keeping, orbit adjustments, and collision avoidance. The planning, delivery, and evaluation of these maneuvers have historically been a time-consuming task which requires a large amount of manual effort. To reduce operator involvement, streamline operations, and improve space situational awareness across the fleet, a novel ground-based Maneuver Automation System (MAS) was developed. This system represents a paradigm shift from an operator-centric workflow to an automation-based approach.This conference paper presents the high-level system architecture of MAS, including algorithm development, maneuver planning, and evaluation logic. Key features of the system will be highlighted, such as the definition and refinement of the solution space through the development of orbital and spacecraft hardware constraints, as well as its integration with an existing scheduling system with multiple sub-schedulers and competing priorities. Operational trade-offs that were considered during the development and tuning of this automation system will also be presented. Coordinating imaging activities around satellite maneuvers presented a challenging task which was efficiently managed using the MAS workflow.The impact of MAS is then examined in terms of improving operational efficiency, improving maneuver planning and evaluation agility, and continuing to enable a sustainable space environment. The reduction in manual operator engagement allows for more focus on critical decision-making and other automation efforts, while the improvement of maneuver planning agility enables MAS to adapt to changing fleet requirements. To ensure our continued commitment to space safety and sustainability, MAS was seamlessly integrated into our automated conjunction screening and assessment workflow. This ensured that any maneuvers planned by MAS were screened for potential conjunctions before being uploaded onto the spacecraft for execution.The findings of this paper provide valuable insights into the design, implementation, and impact of the Maneuver Automation System for fleet-level operations of high-resolution Earth observation satellites. The lessons learned from this novel approach contribute to advancing automation efforts in maneuver planning and shed light on the operational trade-offs involved in optimizing satellite operations in dynamic environments.