Lifetime Tradespace Analysis of Refueling and Repositioning Services for Earth-Imaging Satellites

Recent growth in space activities has led to increased interest in space mobility services in the form of refueling and repositioning. Despite this interest, limited analysis has been conducted to quantify the value and impact of these services. Currently, the consideration and selection of space servicing options rely heavily on qualitative heuristics and subject-matter-expert judgment. To address this lack of quantitatively supported decision-making, this paper provides a comparative analysis of Earth-imaging satellite designs across various lifetime scenarios of use. Using a combination of epoch-era analysis, multi-attribute tradespace exploration, and technology data provided from a quantified state of technology progression analysis, the value of including or omitting compatibility with services in the form of on-orbit refueling and repositioning (OORR) for Earth-imaging satellite owner-operators is determined. Results from this analysis show that refueling and repositioning services can offer unique and tailorable advantages to stakeholders if used in the right circumstances. The demands and relationships of client satellite parameters, the environment in which the system is used, and the stakeholders who dictate the necessary performance of a system were found to directly influence the benefit or detriment of designing for compatibility with and using OORR during a system’s lifetime.