AbstractWe address here optimal design and management issues related to traffic assignment problems in SS/TDMA systems of the INTELSAT‐VI type. A general model is described in which the problem is decomposed into three sub‐problems: (1) optimal or sub‐optimal assignment of earth stations to transponders; (2) optimal decomposition of the traffic flows into blocks and sub‐blocks; and (3) optimal assignment of the traffic sub‐blocks into the TDMA frame. Methods of solution are described for solving successively each of these sub‐problems in turn. Computational experiments carried out on a series of realistic problems confirm the interest of this approach both in terms of quality of the solutions obtained and in terms of computational efficiency. Directions for future research are suggested in the