Aggregation Station Placement and Target Assignment Optimization for a Multi-Object Space Collection System

This study addresses the problem of efficiently collecting multiple space objects by optimizing aggregation station placement and target assignment. From each station, a service vehicle performs round-trip maneuvers to the assigned targets, and the total propellant consumption is minimized. The transfer cost between a station and a target is evaluated in circular orbits using ΔV expressions that account for differences in orbital radius, inclination, and right ascension of the ascending node. The corresponding propellant mass is computed via Tsiolkovsky’s equation with dynamic mass updates. By formulating the problem as a p-median facility location model with physics-based costs, the proposed method determines both station locations and target assignments. A combination of greedy construction and swap-based local search is employed to obtain fuel-efficient aggregation strategies for multi-object space collection missions.