Resource and mission aware power management for non-geosynchronous orbit smallsats

Abstract

Techniques are described for automated satellite power management (ASPM) for a satellite communication system having a constellation of non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) small satellites (smallsats). The techniques can be resource- and/or mission-aware. Embodiments control power used by the constellation by evaluating subsets of the NGSO smallsats determined to be covering each of a number of grid regions (GRs) segmenting a coverage area at any particular timestep. For each timestep for each subset, the evaluating includes: determining whether any payloads of the subset are mutable payloads for the timestep (i.e., can be shut down to conserve power without violating mission objectives); and communicating with the subset to control power to the payloads, so that all the mutable payloads are muted for the timestep and all other payloads of the plurality of payloads are unmuted for the timestep.