Incorporating Launched Satellite Functionality Into a Composite Constellation Optimization Framework

For many decades, space was a region occupied primarily by national agencies. Only recently have commercial entities begun to dominate and define space. This paradigm shift in space actors presents an opportunity for national agencies which, rather than creating and operating their own satellite constellation, can utilize commercial assets through contracting agreements. Working with contractors can significantly bolster an agency’s capabilities, but it can be difficult to identify exactly which contractors to partner with for optimal performance. The preexisting MASCOT framework described in a previous paper provides a means to optimize which commercial partners (and which of their satellites) to acquire to form the most effective constellation. However, MASCOT lacks the functionality to compare a rented commercial satellite to an agency-built, -launched, and-operated satellite. Additionally, MASCOT only considers the cost as a fixed upfront quantity. To extend the applicability of the framework, this paper presents a method to incorporate launched satellites and time-dependent cost information. It is shown that incorporating the aforementioned functionality increases the scope of the decisions that can be made with the framework and allows for a more wholistic view of the design space and its trade-offs.