A co-design framework for architecting distributed space telescopes and satellite systems

Abstract

Co-designing architectures for distributed satellite systems (DSS) is becoming a central challenge as future space missions increasingly rely on constellations, formations, swarms, and fractionated spacecraft to achieve their mission objectives. This paper proposes a generalized “Mission-Topology-System” (MTS) co-design framework that captures the key architectural couplings across a broad class of DSS. Mission architecture describes the distribution of functions, performance objectives, and responsibilities across space and ground segments and stakeholders. Topology architecture characterizes the spatial configuration, relative motion, and networking of spacecraft, including inter satellite links, data routing patterns, and coordination schemes. System architecture defines the allocation of technologies, subsystems, and resources within and between elements, encompassing payloads, buses, and supporting infrastructure. We introduce a conceptual co-design loop that formalizes the directional influences and feedbacks between these three architectural views, making them explicit and traceable for early Phase 0/A studies and model based systems engineering workflows. The framework is instantiated on high-precision astronomy DSS. A cross mission conformity analysis highlights recurring patterns, such as how extreme performance requirements on distributed space telescope missions drive tightly constrained topologies that, in turn, impose stringent system level technologies and resource budgets feeding back to reshape feasible mission and topology choices. We discuss how the proposed MTS perspective can structure early trade spaces, improve requirement flowdown and interface definition, and support the systematic formulation, comparison, and evolution of distributed satellite systems.