TWO-IMPULSE EVOLUTIONARY OPTIMIZATION OF SATELLITE FORMATIONS WITH TOPOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS

In this work we apply the evolutionary technique of Differential Evolution (DE) to topologically constrained trajectory optimization of a satellite formation limited to two-impulsive maneuvers. The motivation and constraints for the problem are drawn from NASA's Magnetospheric Multi-Scale Mission (MMS). In a previous work a DE-based optimization framework was developed for a single impulsive maneuver. This work aims to improve upon that work by expanding the search-space to include the additional degree of freedom allowed by a second maneuver. With this addition, greater adherence to the topological constraints as demanded by the scientific goals of the mission will be demonstrated.