Multi-agent reinforcement learning satellite guidance for triangulation of a moving object in a relative orbit frame

Nicholas Yielding, Joseph Curro and Stephen C Cain

The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation, 2025, vol. 22, issue 2, 243-259

Abstract: Multi-agent systems are of ever-increasing importance in a contested space environment—use of multiple, cooperative satellites potentially increases positive mission outcomes on orbit, while autonomy becomes an ever-increasing requirement to increase reaction time to dynamic situations and lower the burden on space operators. This research explores multi-agent satellite swarm Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) using deep reinforcement learning (DRL). DRL policies are trained to provide guidance inputs to agents in multi-agent swarm environments for completing complex, teamwork-focused objectives in geosynchronous orbit. An example scenario is explored for a group of satellite agents maneuvering to triangulate an object that is non-stationary in the relative orbit frame. Reward shaping is used to encourage learning guidance that positions swarm members to maximize triangulation accuracy, using angles-only observations for navigation relative to the target. Results show the policies successfully learn guidance through reward shaping to improve triangulation accuracy by a significant factor.

Keywords: Satellite swarms; deep reinforcement learning; artificial intelligence; machine learning; space control; angles-only; triangulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:joudef:v:22:y:2025:i:2:p:243-259

DOI: 10.1177/15485129231197437

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