Instance and Data Generation for the Offline Nanosatellite Task Scheduling Problem

Abstract

This paper discusses several cases of the Offline Nanosatellite Task Scheduling (ONTS) optimization problem, which seeks to schedule the start and finish timings of payloads on a nanosatellite. Modeled after the FloripaSat-I mission, a nanosatellite, the examples were built expressly to test the performance of various solutions to the ONTS problem. Realistic input data for power harvesting calculations were used to generate the instances, and an instance creation procedure was employed to increase the instances’ difficulty. The instances are made accessible to the public to facilitate a fair comparison of various solutions and to aid in establishing a baseline for the ONTS problem. Additionally, the study discusses the various orbit types and their effects on energy harvesting and mission performance.