Long-term, multiple-payload satellites in Earth orbit can be designed either as consolidated or distributed satellite systems. A consolidated satellite architecture aggregates multiple payload capabilities onto individual large satellites. A distributed (or ‘disaggregated’) satellite architecture allocates payloads across multiple smaller, heterogeneous satellites. Each system type has certain advantages and disadvantages. A consolidated system often has highly-reliable individual satellites and may offer a lower initial deployment cost. The advantages of a distributed system include the ability to replace a failed unit, or to insert a new technology, more quickly and at a lower cost. Such a system may also be less vulnerable to adversarial threats. We model the value of a satellite program as that of the data that it provides, and use this approach to find optimal sequential decisions to choose and operate the satellite system. The model includes a failure risk analysis to assess and compare the benefits of different system configurations. In sum, we provide a model that enables value-based comparison of entire satellite architectures, where each technical and operational characteristic is optimally exploited. The results of this research indicate that risk-averse decision makers are likely to prefer a distributed satellite system. This work has implications for research on resilience, value, and mission analysis for future space systems.
Risk aversion and optimal satellite systems
01.03.2015
1830092 byte
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Online Contents | 2015
|Risk aversion, regret aversion and travel choice inertia: an experimental study
Taylor & Francis Verlag | 2014
|The Emergence of Risk Aversion
British Library Online Contents | 1997
|Risk aversion, regret aversion and travel choice inertia: an experimental study
Online Contents | 2014
|Risk aversion and route choice decisions
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|