Optimal Planning to Coordinate Science Data Collection and Downlink for a Constellation of Agile Satellites with Limited Storage

Levinson, Richard; Ravindra, Vinay; Roy-Singh, Sreeja

doi:10.24963/ijcai.2025/950

Optimal Planning to Coordinate Science Data Collection and Downlink for a Constellation of Agile Satellites with Limited Storage

Richard Levinson, Vinay Ravindra, Sreeja Roy-Singh

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Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Main Track. Pages 8544-8553.

https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2025/950

Keywords

Agent-based and Multi-agent Systems: MAS: Multi-agent planning
Planning and Scheduling: PS: Mixed discrete/continuous planning
Multidisciplinary Topics and Applications: MTA: Physical sciences
Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: CSO: Mixed discrete and continuous optimization

Abstract

We present a novel Mixed Integer Linear Program formulation that produces optimal plans for a constellation of remote sensing satellites. The generalized formulation is applied to an operational NASA constellation to improve wildfire danger prediction. The planner generates integrated data collection and downlink plans for multiple agile satellites with limited storage capacity, minimum energy requirements, and temporal constraints. Observation targets and modes are associated with science rewards. The planner maximizes the aggregate rewards collected for all observations on all satellites.

Our generalized model for integrated data collection and downlink uses a novel interval-based abstraction called Data Cycles, without time-indexed variables. Data cycles organize the multitude of observation and downlink opportunities from 1 second granularity into sequences of data collection and downlink intervals. Experiments using large-scale real-world data yield optimal 24-hr plans for an eight satellite constellation, which capture 99% of the ~23,000 available targets and 99.9% of available science rewards.

Richard Levinson, Vinay Ravindra, and Sreeja Roy-Singh. 2025. Optimal Planning to Coordinate Science Data Collection and Downlink for a Constellation of Agile Satellites with Limited Storage. In Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI-25. IJCAI, 8544–8553. https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2025/950

@inproceedings{ijcai2025p950,
  title     = {Optimal Planning to Coordinate Science Data Collection and Downlink for a Constellation of Agile Satellites with Limited Storage},
  author    = {Levinson, Richard and Ravindra, Vinay and Roy-Singh, Sreeja},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth International Joint Conference on
               Artificial Intelligence, {IJCAI-25}},
  publisher = {International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence Organization},
  editor    = {James Kwok},
  pages     = {8544--8553},
  year      = {2025},
  month     = {8},
  note      = {Main Track},
  doi       = {10.24963/ijcai.2025/950},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2025/950},
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Optimal Planning to Coordinate Science Data Collection and Downlink for a Constellation of Agile Satellites with Limited Storage
AU  - Levinson, Richard
AU  - Ravindra, Vinay
AU  - Roy-Singh, Sreeja
T2  - Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI-25
PB  - International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence Organization
PY  - 2025
SP  - 8544
EP  - 8553
DO  - 10.24963/ijcai.2025/950
UR  - https://doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2025/950
ER  -