Collaborative Constellation Analysis Framework for Wildfire Observing Missions

This study creates and analyzes a framework for collaborative command and control within a constellation. The study will contribute to the evolution of satellite cooperation strategies for stakeholders undertaking new architectures. The method propagates each satellite orbit through a reference mission, introducing targets of interest throughout and computing observation opportunities. We run the first simulation with a standard and expanded swath width, representing increased pointing authority and field of regard (FOR) allowed when point of interest locations are known a priori to an individual observation. We filter observations using total cloud obscuration. A separate simulation propagates orbits and determines observation opportunities for satellite-to-satellite communication. We combine the outcomes of these steps in a model that manages the flow of information through the constellation. Once a point of interest is known, increased instrument pointing authority is permitted. The study compares a case with and without inter-satellite communications to quantify the impact of satellite collaboration in terms of revisit time, sample count, and access time. The application case considers a composite constellation with six satellites in a partial Walker star constellation and six additional satellites in a partial Walker delta constellation. This configuration increases satellite orbit overlap to create opportunities for inter-satellite communication. With collaboration, the constellation samples points 20% more often with a revisit time 10% lower than the baseline.