Peer-to-peer refuelling within a satellite constellation part II: nonzero-cost rendezvous case

For pt.I, see ibid., vol.4, no.03CH37475, p.-4345-50(2003). In this paper, we study the scheduling problem arising from refuelling multiple satellites in a constellation. It is assumed that there is no fuel delivered to the constellation externally. Instead, the satellites in the constellation are assumed to be capable of refuelling each other. The cost of the rendezvous maneuver between two satellites conducting a fuel transfer is taken into consideration in the formulation of the problem. The goal of the refuelling problem is to equalize the fuel stored among all satellites in the constellation after a refuelling period. It is shown that the problem of equalizing the fuel among the satellites can be formulated and solved as a maximum-weight matching problem.