ELICITATION: A Satellite Constellation Simulator Using Multi-Agent Systems, Blockchain and the IoMT

José Edilson Silva Filho, Nícolas de Araújo Moreira, Mathieu Bourgais, Cecilia Zanni-Merk, Laurent Vercouter, Jarbas Aryel Nunes da Silveira, Walter Abrahão dos Santos

Abstract: With the continuous increase in the number of satellites orbiting Earth, the efficient and coordinated management of these assets becomes a critical concern. This paper introduces the innovative project Elicitation, a simulator for satellite constellations based on Multi-Agent Systems (MAS), Blockchain, and the Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT). The current scenario highlights growing challenges in the supervision and coordination of satellites, emphasizing the need for automated solutions. Elicitation addresses this complexity by integrating MAS to simulate dynamic interactions between satellites in Earth climate monitoring tasks, taking advantage of blockchain technology to guarantee the security, transparency and integrity of the data generated. One notable aspect that contributes to Elicitation’s appeal is its ability to take advantage of authentic satellite positioning data and real information relating to natural events. Consequently, the system operates autonomously to identify the ideal satellite capable of capturing data related to natural events at any given time. The average decision time per agent was 0.19 seconds for a collective set of 11 agents, corresponding to 11 satellites in a 120-day dataset with 43 target events.