Responsive Imaging Constellations for Support ofGeographically Dispersed Theaters

摘要

The need for imaging constellations that augment or reconstitute a current capability is a key objective that Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) has identified. These capabilities are usually focused on supporting a specific theatre as opposed to providing global coverage or some semblance thereof. However, military needs and theatres can rapidly change so it is necessary to understand how a constellation initially planned for one theatre can support a set of geographically, dispersed theaters. This paper analyzes four different potential theatres and different constellations of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft to understand their ability to not only support a single theatre, but all four of the chosen theatres. An automated, iterative approach to constellation design is presented as well as supporting metrics for a final design selection.