Multidisciplinary design optimization approach to conceptual design of a LEO earth observation microsatellite

Abstract

This paper presents the conceptual design of a sun-synchronous LEO Earth Observation microsatellite incorporated with Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) approach. The objective is to develop a structured system level for the design process including mission design parameters such as required Revisit Time (RT), and accessible Ground Sampling Distance (GSD). In order to apply MDO with the design process a sizing tool has been developed based on both mission and system design-estimating relationships. In addition, the conceptual design data and concepts of the microsatellites with the similar mission have been used to achieve a reliable sizing tool. The objective is to minimize the total mass of the satellite. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is coupled with the developed sizing tool to obtain optimized design parameters for the microsatellite. © 2008 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.