A Hybrid Classical Quantum Computing Approach to the Satellite Mission Planning Problem

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Quetschlich, Nils, Koch, Vincent, Burgholzer, Lukas, Wille, Robert
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Quetschlich, Nils
Koch, Vincent
Burgholzer, Lukas
Wille, Robert
author_facet Quetschlich, Nils
Koch, Vincent
Burgholzer, Lukas
Wille, Robert
contents Hundreds of satellites equipped with cameras orbit the Earth to capture images from locations for various purposes. Since the field of view of the cameras is usually very narrow, the optics have to be adjusted and rotated between single shots of different locations. This is even further complicated by the fixed speed -- determined by the satellite's altitude -- such that the decision what locations to select for imaging becomes even more complex. Therefore, classical algorithms for this Satellite Mission Planning Problem (SMPP) have already been proposed decades ago. However, corresponding classical solutions have only seen evolutionary enhancements since then. Quantum computing and its promises, on the other hand, provide the potential for revolutionary improvement. Therefore, in this work, we propose a hybrid classical quantum computing approach to solve the SMPP combining the advantages of quantum hardware with decades of classical optimizer development. Using the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), and its warm-start variant (W-QAOA), we demonstrate the applicability of solving the SMPP for up to 21 locations to choose from. This proof-of-concept -- which is available on GitHub (https://github.com/cda-tum/mqt-problemsolver) as part of the Munich Quantum Toolkit (MQT) -- showcases the potential of quantum computing in this application domain and represents a first step toward competing with classical algorithms in the future.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2308_00029
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Hybrid Classical Quantum Computing Approach to the Satellite Mission Planning Problem
Quetschlich, Nils
Koch, Vincent
Burgholzer, Lukas
Wille, Robert
Quantum Physics
Hundreds of satellites equipped with cameras orbit the Earth to capture images from locations for various purposes. Since the field of view of the cameras is usually very narrow, the optics have to be adjusted and rotated between single shots of different locations. This is even further complicated by the fixed speed -- determined by the satellite's altitude -- such that the decision what locations to select for imaging becomes even more complex. Therefore, classical algorithms for this Satellite Mission Planning Problem (SMPP) have already been proposed decades ago. However, corresponding classical solutions have only seen evolutionary enhancements since then. Quantum computing and its promises, on the other hand, provide the potential for revolutionary improvement. Therefore, in this work, we propose a hybrid classical quantum computing approach to solve the SMPP combining the advantages of quantum hardware with decades of classical optimizer development. Using the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), and its warm-start variant (W-QAOA), we demonstrate the applicability of solving the SMPP for up to 21 locations to choose from. This proof-of-concept -- which is available on GitHub (https://github.com/cda-tum/mqt-problemsolver) as part of the Munich Quantum Toolkit (MQT) -- showcases the potential of quantum computing in this application domain and represents a first step toward competing with classical algorithms in the future.
title A Hybrid Classical Quantum Computing Approach to the Satellite Mission Planning Problem
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.00029