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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Systems analysis - Key to NASA's data system planning

Critical steps in the systems analysis process for NASA's data system planning are: (1) compilation of future user/mission requirements, (2) development of alternative overall data system concepts which satisfy requirements, (3) assessment of future development and availability of data system technology, and (4) cost/performance tradeoff studies of the alternative concepts for systems optimization. Tasks within the NEEDS (NASA End-to-End Data System) Program, which correspond to the critical steps in this systems analysis process are examined.

Nelson, R. W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Reflecting on Planning Models: A Challenge for Verification and Validation of Planning Systems

We discuss the opportunities for autonomous sys- tems to perform reflection on their planners by adapting the models used to build plans. We first describe model-based planning systems, a form of automated planning system driven by declarative models of the planning domain. These models include descriptions of the conditions and effects of actions on the state of the world. When planning the activities of cyber-physical systems, the command and data representation of the system must be formally abstracted to the actions and states described in the planning system model. When the execution of a plan either fails or produces unexpected outcomes, the execution trace can be abstracted and compared to the predicted state according to the planning model, producing a list of discrepancies; these discrepancies can then be used to fix the model. This provides part of a reflection capability, namely, a set of well-formed problems with the domain model, the abstractions, or both. The challenge lies in the rest of the reflection capability, namely, a set of techniques for changing the models or the abstractions. We discuss these challenges and describe some of the options for addressing them

Mission Planning↗
DOE OSTI2026

Distribution System Plan Template and Guide for Electric Utilities for Adaptation by States and Utilities [Slides]

LBNL researchers developed a template and companion guide for structuring distribution system plans. The template covers 10 key sections in utility distribution system plans and underlying topics: -Executive Summary -Planning Objectives -Current Distribution System -Planning Approach -Asst Management, Reliability and Resilience -O&M Expenses -Capacity Expansion Planning -Solution Identification -Cost-effectiveness -Implementation For each section in the template, the companion guide provides: a description of the topics covered and their importance; the type of content to include in the plan; an example utility approach; and references to other utility plans that serve as models for the topic.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1991

Planning systems for pioneer mission control

Information on planning systems for Pioneer Mission control is given in viewgraph form. Information is given on flight operations, planning procedures, operation of the spacecraft past the original design scope, the Pioneer Venus Orbiter expert system, and planning future long-term missions.

Smith, Marcie↗
DOE OSTI2026

Improving Transparency in Electric Distribution System Planning to Support Affordability [Slides]

This resource identifies opportunities for communities to participate in the distribution system planning process to achieve their energy goals, including affordability. It begins with background information on the distribution system and distribution system planning, and then focuses on topical areas where communities could focus their engagement (e.g., non-wires alternatives, DER forecast, scenario analysis). The report concludes with illustrative examples of how communities have engaged in distribution system planning. The appendix provides procedural guidance on engagement in utility planning processes.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1988

A dynamic case-based planning system for space station application

We are currently investigating the use of a case-based reasoning approach to develop a dynamic planning system. The dynamic planning system (DPS) is designed to perform resource management, i.e., to efficiently schedule tasks both with and without failed components. This approach deviates from related work on scheduling and on planning in AI in several aspects. In particular, an attempt is made to equip the planner with an ability to cope with a changing environment by dynamic replanning, to handle resource constraints and feedback, and to achieve some robustness and autonomy through plan learning by dynamic memory techniques. We briefly describe the proposed architecture of DPS and its four major components: the PLANNER, the plan EXECUTOR, the dynamic REPLANNER, and the plan EVALUATOR. The planner, which is implemented in Smalltalk, is being evaluated for use in connection with the Space Station Mobile Service System (MSS).

Oppacher, F.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Review of Literature and Utility Commission Proceedings Relevant to Integrated System Planning: Annotated Bibliography Prepared to Support the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

In 2024 the Washington State Legislature passed the Decarbonization Act for Large Combination Utilities (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1589 – the Act). The Act requires a large combination electric and gas utility to conduct integrated system planning supporting electrification and gas system decarbonization, including a reduction in the gas rate base. The utility is required to submit the first integrated system plan (ISP) by January 1, 2027. The requirements are to be developed and adopted by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) by July 1, 2025. In October 2024 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) began providing technical assistance to the UTC to support the ISP rulemaking. PNNL and LBNL have prepared this annotated bibliography of research and reports, and state examples of coordinated gas and electric planning, future of gas, and future of heat proceedings in other U.S. States and one Canadian Province. The items described here have been selected by the authors for their potential relevance to the UTC’s integrated system planning rule discussions.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1988

Interactive orbital proximity operations planning system

An interactive graphical proximity operations planning system was developed, which allows on-site design of efficient, complex, multiburn maneuvers in a dynamic multispacecraft environment. Maneuvering takes place in and out of the orbital plane. The difficulty in planning such missions results from the unusual and counterintuitive character of orbital dynamics and complex time-varying operational constraints. This difficulty is greatly overcome by visualizing the relative trajectories and the relevant constraints in an easily interpretable graphical format, which provides the operator with immediate feedback on design actions. The display shows a perspective bird's-eye view of a Space Station and co-orbiting spacecraft on the background of the Station's orbital plane. The operator has control over the two modes of operation: a viewing system mode, which enables the exporation of the spatial situation about the Space Station and thus the ability to choose and zoom in on areas of interest; and a trajectory design mode, which allows the interactive editing of a series of way points and maneuvering burns to obtain a trajectory that complies with all operational constraints. A first version of this display was completed. An experimental program is planned in which operators will carry out a series of design missions which vary in complexity and constraints.

Grunwald, Arthur J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Interactive orbital proximity operations planning system

An interactive, graphical proximity operations planning system was developed which allows on-site design of efficient, complex, multiburn maneuvers in the dynamic multispacecraft environment about the space station. Maneuvering takes place in, as well as out of, the orbital plane. The difficulty in planning such missions results from the unusual and counterintuitive character of relative orbital motion trajectories and complex operational constraints, which are both time varying and highly dependent on the mission scenario. This difficulty is greatly overcome by visualizing the relative trajectories and the relative constraints in an easily interpretable, graphical format, which provides the operator with immediate feedback on design actions. The display shows a perspective bird's-eye view of the space station and co-orbiting spacecraft on the background of the station's orbital plane. The operator has control over two modes of operation: (1) a viewing system mode, which enables him or her to explore the spatial situation about the space station and thus choose and frame in on areas of interest; and (2) a trajectory design mode, which allows the interactive editing of a series of way-points and maneuvering burns to obtain a trajectory which complies with all operational constraints. Through a graphical interactive process, the operator will continue to modify the trajectory design until all operational constraints are met. The effectiveness of this display format in complex trajectory design is presently being evaluated in an ongoing experimental program.

Grunwald, Arthur J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Java RMI Software Technology for the Payload Planning System of the International Space Station

The Payload Planning System is for experiment planning on the International Space Station. The planning process has a number of different aspects which need to be stored in a database which is then used to generate reports on the planning process in a variety of formats. This process is currently structured as a 3-tier client/server software architecture comprised of a Java applet at the front end, a Java server in the middle, and an Oracle database in the third tier. This system presently uses CGI, the Common Gateway Interface, to communicate between the user-interface and server tiers and Active Data Objects (ADO) to communicate between the server and database tiers. This project investigated other methods and tools for performing the communications between the three tiers of the current system so that both the system performance and software development time could be improved. We specifically found that for the hardware and software platforms that PPS is required to run on, the best solution is to use Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) for communication between the client and server and SQLJ (Structured Query Language for Java) for server interaction with the database. Prototype implementations showed that RMI combined with SQLJ significantly improved performance and also greatly facilitated construction of the communication software.

Bryant, Barrett R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Manager's assistant systems for space system planning

This paper describes a class of knowledge-based 'assistant' systems for space system planning. Derived from technology produced for the DARPA/USAF Pilot's Associate program, these assistant systems help the human planner by doing the bookkeeping to maintain plan data and executing the procedures and heuristics currently used by the human planner to define, assess, diagnose, and revise plans. Intelligent systems for Space Station Freedom assembly sequence planning and Advanced Launch System modeling will be presented as examples. Ongoing NASA-funded work on a framework supporting the development of such tools will also be described.

Bewley, William L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Model-based task planning system for a space laboratory environment

This paper describes the design of a model-based autonomous planning system that will enable robots to manage a space-borne chemical laboratory. In a model-based planning system, knowledge is encapsulated in the form of models at the various layers to support the predefined system objectives. Thus the model-based approach can be considered as an extended planning paradigm which is able to base its planning, control, diagnosis, repair, and other activities on a variety of objectives-related models. A System Entity Structure/Model Base framework is employed to support autonomous system design through the ability to generate a family of planning alternatives as well as to build hierarchical event-based control structures. The model base is a multilevel, multiabstraction, and multiformalism system organized through the use of system morphisms to integrate related models.

Chi, Sung-Do↗
NASA NTRS2002

Lessons Learned In Developing Multiple Distributed Planning Systems for the International Space Station

The planning processes for the International Space Station (ISS) Program are quite complex. Detailed mission planning for ISS on-orbit operations is a distributed function. Pieces of the on-orbit plan are developed by multiple planning organizations, located around the world, based on their respective expertise and responsibilities. The "pieces" are then integrated to yield the final detailed plan that will be executed onboard the ISS. Previous space programs have not distributed the planning and scheduling functions to this extent. Major ISS planning organizations are currently located in the United States (at both the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)), in Russia, in Europe, and in Japan. Software systems have been developed by each of these planning organizations to support their assigned planning and scheduling functions. Although there is some cooperative development and sharing of key software components, each planning system has been tailored to meet the unique requirements and operational environment of the facility in which it operates. However, all the systems must operate in a coordinated fashion in order to effectively and efficiently produce a single integrated plan of ISS operations, in accordance with the established planning processes. This paper addresses lessons learned during the development of these multiple distributed planning systems, from the perspective of the developer of one of the software systems. The lessons focus on the coordination required to allow the multiple systems to operate together, rather than on the problems associated with the development of any particular system. Included in the paper is a discussion of typical problems faced during the development and coordination process, such as incompatible development schedules, difficulties in defining system interfaces, technical coordination and funding for shared tools, continually evolving planning concepts/requirements, programmatic and budget issues, and external influences. Techniques that mitigated some of these problems will also be addressed, along with recommendations for any future programs involving the development of multiple planning and scheduling systems. Many of these lessons learned are not unique to the area of planning and scheduling systems, so may be applied to other distributed ground systems that must operate in concert to successfully support space mission operations.

Maxwell, Theresa G.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Lessons Learned in Developing Multiple Distributed Planning Systems for the International Space Station

The planning processes for the International Space Station (ISS) Program are quite complex. Detailed mission planning for ISS on-orbit operations is a distributed function. Pieces of the on-orbit plan are developed by multiple planning organizations, located around the world, based on their respective expertise and responsibilities. The pieces are then integrated to yield the final detailed plan that will be executed onboard the ISS. Previous space programs have not distributed the planning and scheduling functions to this extent. Major ISS planning organizations are currently located in the United States (at both the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)), in Russia, in Europe, and in Japan. Software systems have been developed by each of these planning organizations to support their assigned planning and scheduling functions. Although there is some cooperative development and sharing of key software components, each planning system has been tailored to meet the unique requirements and operational environment of the facility in which it operates. However, all the systems must operate in a coordinated fashion in order to effectively and efficiently produce a single integrated plan of ISS operations, in accordance with the established planning processes. This paper addresses lessons learned during the development of these multiple distributed planning systems, from the perspective of the developer of one of the software systems. The lessons focus on the coordination required to allow the multiple systems to operate together, rather than on the problems associated with the development of any particular system. Included in the paper is a discussion of typical problems faced during the development and coordination process, such as incompatible development schedules, difficulties in defining system interfaces, technical coordination and funding for shared tools, continually evolving planning concepts/requirements, programmatic and budget issues, and external influences. Techniques that mitigated some of these problems will also be addressed, along with recommendations for any future programs involving the development of multiple planning and scheduling systems. Many of these lessons learned are not unique to the area of planning and scheduling systems, so may be applied to other distributed ground systems that must operate in concert to successfully support space mission operations.

Maxwell, Theresa G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Fuzzy logic path planning system for collision avoidance by an autonomous rover vehicle

The Space Exploration Initiative of the United States will make great demands upon NASA and its limited resources. One aspect of great importance will be providing for autonomous (unmanned) operation of vehicles and/or subsystems in space flight and surface exploration. An additional, complicating factor is that much of the need for autonomy of operation will take place under conditions of great uncertainty or ambiguity. Issues in developing an autonomous collision avoidance subsystem within a path planning system for application in a remote, hostile environment that does not lend itself well to remote manipulation by Earth-based telecommunications is addressed. A good focus is unmanned surface exploration of Mars. The uncertainties involved indicate that robust approaches such as fuzzy logic control are particularly appropriate. Four major issues addressed are (1) avoidance of a fuzzy moving obstacle; (2) backoff from a deadend in a static obstacle environment; (3) fusion of sensor data to detect obstacles; and (4) options for adaptive learning in a path planning system. Examples of the need for collision avoidance by an autonomous rover vehicle on the surface of Mars with a moving obstacle would be wind-blown debris, surface flow or anomalies due to subsurface disturbances, another vehicle, etc. The other issues of backoff, sensor fusion, and adaptive learning are important in the overall path planning system.

Murphy, Michael G.↗