Optimal Design of Space-Based Data Center Constellations for In-Orbit Computing Services

Abstract

With the increasing demand for in-orbit computing services, the architectural design of Space-Based Data Center (SBDC) constellations has emerged as a critical research challenge. However, existing design methodologies remain tailored to traditional constellations and lack specialized models to evaluate the unique cost-performance trade-offs. Therefore, this letter proposes a comprehensive multi-objective optimization framework for SBDC constellation design, aiming to minimize cost and latency while maximizing computational performance. Based on this framework, a novel SBDC Constellation Design Optimization (SCDO) algorithm, built upon NSGA-II, is developed to obtain the optimal constellation architectures. Extensive simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, reveal two primary design paradigms, and provide an in-depth analysis of the impact of task characteristics.