Satellite mission scheduling based on genetic algorithm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a new satellite mission scheduling (SMS) problem based on an genetic algorithm (GA). Design/methodology/approach The SMS involves scheduling tasks to be performed by a satellite, where new task requests can arrive non‐deterministically (i.e. at any time) and must be scheduled in real‐time. This paper investigates algorithmic approaches for determining an optimal or near‐optimal sequence of tasks, allocated to a satellite payload over time, with dynamic tasking considerations. Findings Simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective and efficient when utilized in actual cases. Originality/value This paper shows how to adopt the GA search approach to generate an SMS within allowable computation time.