Optimal Satellite Payload Selection and Specification

We consider the problem of optimally selecting and specifying satellite payloads for inclusion on a sequence of satellite launches to maximize the total expected utility of a constellation. The satellite bus is constrained by energy, weight, volume, and cost limitations. We formulate the problem as a variant of the multidimensional knapsack problem and provide exact and heuristic solution methods. Exact solutions are obtained for small and moderately-sized constellations. For larger constellations, the heuristic techniques provide solutions within 4% of the best-known integer solution.