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This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed ⁘ Insights .
Most space mission systems historically have used one spacecraft designed to complete an entire mission independently. Whether it was a weather satellite or a human-crewed module like Apollo, nearly every spacecraft was deployed and performed its one-off mission completely on its own.
But today, space industry organizations are exploring missions with many satellites working together. For example, SpaceX ⁘s Starlink constellations include thousands of satellites. And new spacecraft could soon have the capabilities to link up or engage with other satellites in orbit for repairs or refueling.
Some of these spacecraft are already operating and serving customers, such as Northrop Grumman⁘s mission extension vehicle . This orbiting craft has extended the lives of multiple communications satellites .
These new design options and in-orbit capabilities make space missions look more like large logistics operations on Earth .
Related: SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, lands rocket (video)
Space mission designers plan their routes in order to deliver their payloads to the Moon or Mars , or orbit efficiently within a set of cost, timeline and capacity constraints. But when they need to coordinate multiple space vehicles working together, route planning can get complicated.
Logistics companies on the ground solve similar problems every day and transport goods and commodities across the globe. So, researchers can study how these companies manage their logistics to help space companies and agencies figure out how to successfully plan their mission operations.
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