New Distributed Scheduling for Emergency Earth Observation Satellites

This research introduces a novel scheduling method, T3L-DS (Task-Driven Three-Layer Distributed Scheduling), designed for large Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. The primary challenge addressed is the dynamic insertion of urgent Earth observation tasks when routine mission plans are already underway, requiring minimal disruption to existing commitments and efficient resource allocation under intermittent ground contact. T3L-DS operates by representing task demand and sensor footprints on a common geographic grid, forming temporary clusters of observation capabilities and inter-satellite links. It employs onboard dual-plan bidding and joint marginal evaluation for intra-cluster coordination, alongside an inter-cluster mechanism for unresolved demands. Experimental results show that T3L-DS significantly outperforms other distributed methods in emergency coverage and substantially reduces routine-coverage loss, demonstrating its effectiveness for dynamic emergency Earth observation.