Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Multi-Satellite Earth Observation: A Realistic Case Study

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2506.15207v1
• Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:42:11 GMT
• Title: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Multi-Satellite Earth Observation: A Realistic Case Study
• Authors: Mohamad A. Hady, Siyi Hu, Mahardhika Pratama, Jimmy Cao, Ryszard Kowalczyk,
• Abstract summary: The exponential growth of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites has revolutionised Earth Observation (EO) missions.<n>Traditional optimisation approaches struggle to handle the real-time decision-making demands of dynamic EO missions.<n>We investigate RL-based autonomous EO mission planning by modelling single-satellite operations and extending to multi-satellite constellations.
• Score: 9.798174763420896
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Abstract: The exponential growth of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites has revolutionised Earth Observation (EO) missions, addressing challenges in climate monitoring, disaster management, and more. However, autonomous coordination in multi-satellite systems remains a fundamental challenge. Traditional optimisation approaches struggle to handle the real-time decision-making demands of dynamic EO missions, necessitating the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL). In this paper, we investigate RL-based autonomous EO mission planning by modelling single-satellite operations and extending to multi-satellite constellations using MARL frameworks. We address key challenges, including energy and data storage limitations, uncertainties in satellite observations, and the complexities of decentralised coordination under partial observability. By leveraging a near-realistic satellite simulation environment, we evaluate the training stability and performance of state-of-the-art MARL algorithms, including PPO, IPPO, MAPPO, and HAPPO. Our results demonstrate that MARL can effectively balance imaging and resource management while addressing non-stationarity and reward interdependency in multi-satellite coordination. The insights gained from this study provide a foundation for autonomous satellite operations, offering practical guidelines for improving policy learning in decentralised EO missions.

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