Application of Linear Programming Methods in Scheduling of Reception Sessions of the Target Information from SC of ERS Orbital Constellation

Abstract

. This article considers the problem of optimal allocation (scheduling) of target information (TI) reception sessions from the spacecraft of the ERS orbital constellation (OC) with a limited number of core ground segment (CGS) reception com-plexes (RC), and suggests its solution, taking into account the priorities of the TI and the possibility of simultaneous presence of several SC in the radio visibility zone (RVZ) of the receiving station (RS). The solution of the problem is carried out in two stages. The first step is to work out a criterion of efficiency of scheduling of the TI reception sessions. The criterion of effectiveness is based on the “weight matrix” (“priority matrix”), which determines the relative value of the TI reception sessions on the direct product of factors of the orbital constellation SC and all the CGS RC. The algorithm for the “weight matrix” calculation accommodates some a priori requirements of the OC operator, which he specifies for the end result of the scheduling. On the second stage the criterion of efficiency is used to set and solve the problem of optimal scheduling of the reception sessions [2]. The problems of the first and second stages are viewed as transportation problems of integer linear programming. Limita-tions and features of the problem of reception session scheduling make it possible to view it as the “assignment problem”, well known in integer linear programming. Examples of “weight matrix” calculation and optimal scheduling of reception sessions using the developed software are presented.