Assessment of detailed onboard-resource models

Assess detailed alternatives to the simplifying resource models used in Earth observation satellite scheduling, including maneuver energy consumption, solar-panel energy recharge, and memory carried across successive orbits.

Background

Existing EOS scheduling models commonly simplify resource dynamics to maintain tractability. Examples include modeling maneuver energy through simplified terms, assuming energy is replenished at orbit boundaries, and enforcing memory limits through orbit-level or aggregate constraints.

The paper identifies the need to determine how these simplifications compare with more detailed representations of energy consumption, energy recharge, and memory evolution across orbits; the effects of the alternatives have not yet been assessed.

References

Closely related to this, the representation of onboard resources deserves more attention, as energy consumed by maneuvers, energy recharged by solar panels and memory carried across successive orbits are usually treated through simplifications that are convenient for the model but that have not been assessed against more detailed alternatives.

— Earth Observation Satellite Scheduling Models: Taxonomy, Classification and Open Challenges  (2610.23520 - Caleiras et al., 16 Oct 2026) in Section Conclusion and future directions