Mission planning optimization for the visual inspection of multiple geosynchronous satellites

In this article, a new manoeuvring strategy for the multiple geosynchronous satellites inspection problem is proposed. In contrast to previous research, it can be used to visit multiple geosynchronous satellites orbiting in different orbital planes in an economical way. In the proposed mission scenario, several chasers are initially placed in an equatorial high eccentric orbit. Two orbital manoeuvres are exerted at perigee to adjust the apogee of the chaser for every inspection. Subsequently, the targets will be visited when they fly through the ascending or descending nodes of their orbits. Based on the proposed strategy, a two-level optimization approach is developed to optimize visitation order and time regarding fuel consumption. Meanwhile, the manoeuvre velocity and time are determined. Finally, the proposed method is applied to several numerical test cases to demonstrate its validity for mission planning optimization for the visual inspection of multiple geosynchronous satellites.