The fellowship of the Dyson ring: ACT&Friends’ results and methods for GTOC 11

Dyson spheres are hypothetical megastructures encircling stars in order to harvest most of their energy output. During the 11th edition GTOC challenge, participants were tasked with a complex trajectory planning related construction precursor structure, heliocentric ring made twelve stations. To this purpose, we developed several new approaches that synthesize techniques from machine learning, combinatorial optimization, and scheduling, evolutionary optimization effectively integrated into fully automated pipeline. These include learned transfer time estimator, improving established Edelbaum approximation thus better informing Lazy Race Tree Search identify collect asteroids high arrival mass for stations; series optimally-phased low-thrust transfers all stations computed by indirect techniques, exploiting synodic periodicity system; modified Hungarian scheduling algorithm, which utilizes arrange mass-balanced schedule out possibilities. We describe steps our pipeline detail special focus on how mutually benefit each other. Lastly, outline analyze final solution team, ACT&Friends, ranked second at 11 challenge.