Our Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA) team has reached a stunning landmark. Of the almost one hundred tests conducted over the last two years, they were able to demonstrate that autonomous satellite swarms are achievable. Through this cutting-edge technology, swarms of satellites can work together with limited human interference. This capability will be key to the success of any long-duration space missions in the future. The Starling mission, which consists of four small satellites, is a perfect illustration of this progression. The double-vision duo proved remarkably successful at measuring the electron content of the plasma between their spacecraft and GPS satellites, imaging rapidly changing phenomena in Earth’s ionosphere.
The DSA team’s multi-national, interdisciplinary testing regimen is a return to testing on the near and far side of the moon. Despite their autonomy, all the satellites in the Starling swarm are able to synchronize their activities and work together to help accomplish mission goals. If one spacecraft has an issue, the other members can re-target their operations to meet the mission’s objectives. This flexibility is a good example of the promise of DSA to make scientific use of observations possible without needing to have everything pre-planned and programmed.
Starling Mission and DSA Capabilities
The Starling mission that began in July 2023 will be a proof-of-concept and validation mission for swarms of autonomous craft in operations. DSA software gives satellites the intelligence to collaborate with each other and determine their own observation priorities. This co-creation approach simplifies their scientific duties and reduces their burden. This capability is especially critical in environments of high complexity where the situation is evolving quickly.
One of the powerful aspects to the DSA technology is that it enables real-time decision-making to occur within the swarm. For instance, if one Starling satellite fails to collect data, the others can immediately reassess their roles to ensure that critical scientific objectives are met. The autonomous operations go beyond just data collection to include maintenance tasks. PLEXIL application on Starling demonstrating excellent autonomous manager capabilities. Today’s generation of satellites are able to autonomously determine operations and conduct software updates independently with no human intervention.
Starling’s accomplishments are impressive no matter the context, but they’re even more remarkable because they represent a major leap forward in the development of spacecraft autonomy. The mission’s challenging success through fully distributed autonomous operations became a first in the world of many-spacecraft. Space-to-space communications give satellites the ability to autonomously relay status information. This relatively new ability greatly enhances their capacity for synchronous collaboration.
Future Testing and Expanding Swarm Sizes
Recently, the DSA team has expressed interest in starting a second round of testing, with that process expected to launch in 2026. In this next phase, we’ll be proving even larger swarms of satellites. This expands upon the foundational work we were able to accomplish with Starling. These test results can inform promising new mission opportunities. They actually have the potential to empower large constellations of satellites to independently carry out a wide range of scientific tasks autonomously.
The new test, which uses computers to create a realistic swarm, surpasses the old standard. This swarm provides position, navigation, and timing services across the moon. This aspect of DSA is foundational for the future of human space exploration. It allows for missions in areas where there is no longer robust Earth-based support. For swarms to excel at missions to far-flung celestial bodies, they need to be self-sufficient. This ability will be key for any long-duration missions outside of Earth’s orbit.
As satellite technology rapidly advances, the potential impacts of DSA could shift how we do space missions entirely. The potential for autonomous satellite swarms to complete science goals with minimal human oversight signifies a shift towards more efficient and capable space operations.
Implications for Long-Duration Space Missions
DSA technology would be critical to establishing and maintaining long-duration deep space missions. Most importantly, it supports the trusted integration of systems on Earth with those systems on other planets. Later, as exploration efforts continue to increase, the demand for automated systems that can function without human intervention grows even more critical. Beyond improving mission efficiency overall, this capability will help mitigate human-related risks that arise in uncrewed environments.
The innovations showcased by the Starling mission highlight the role that autonomy will play in the future of satellite operations. Space agencies and private enterprises alike have the opportunity to leverage DSA technology to build satellite networks that are more resilient and responsive. These networks will reshape themselves based on new threats as they emerge instantaneously.