A metaheuristic approach for INO340 telescope flexible scheduling

Observatories are often oversubscribed with observation proposals competing for available time slots at the best observing conditions. The role of the scheduling system is critical in such matters. In the INO340 telescope, a flexible scheduling system has been developed to make optimum programs for the observation nights to minimize the idle time of the INO340 telescope and decrease the cost of its mechanical motion while obtaining the best quality image results. A genetic algorithm has been employed to take into account the predictable factor affecting the observation conditions and obtain the optimal scheduling solution. This paper aims to present the short-term flexible scheduling design and implementation, the factors involved in the process, and the evaluation test results on how it improved the performance.