Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “space mission planning”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1971

Launch Vehicle Estimating Factors for Use in Advance Space Mission Planning

This launch vehicle reference document contains mission characteristic and launch vehicle capability data for use by NASA and particularly the Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) in the preparation of future mission plans. The data in this reference book are derived from sources that are considered to be sufficiently accurate for advance planning. In no instance should these data be used for detailed mission planning without concurrence of the Director of Launch Vehicle and Propulsion Programs. This edition reflects updates in vehicle performance and possible availability and introduces a section on the Space Shuttle. The Shuttle section has been coordinated with the Office of Manned Space Flight.

McGolrick, Joseph E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Facilitating Crew-Computer Collaboration During Mixed-Initiative Space Mission Planning

As NASA looks toward longer duration missions, there will inevitably be a stronger emphasis on crew autonomy, particularly in the domains of mission planning. Ensuring that astronauts, while subject to lengthy periods of communication delay with Earth-based mission support personnel, are able to independently adapt their schedules to rapidly changing environments is a critical aspect of deep-space exploration. This task will likely require the assistance of computer support systems, as the task of mission planning is complex and currently requires dedicated console operators. A mixed-initiative approach can help alleviate some of the more workload-heavy aspects of planning by offloading the intricate task of constraint management to a computer, while still allowing the crew member to maintain overall control of the plan. Playbook is a mission planning tool that has been developed specifically to support this type of mixed-initiative scheduling. This paper examines: 1) the operational evidence of the challenges and viability of autonomous crew planning, and 2) the novel scheduling capabilities in Playbook that are meant to address those findings.

human-computer interaction↗
NASA NTRS2009

Peer-to-Peer Planning for Space Mission Control

Planning and scheduling for space operations entails the development of applications that embed intimate domain knowledge of distinct areas of mission control, while allowing for significant collaboration among them. The separation is useful because of differences in the planning problem, solution methods, and frequencies of replanning that arise in the different disciplines. For example, planning the activities of human spaceflight crews requires some reasoning about all spacecraft resources at timescales of minutes or seconds, and is subject to considerable volatility. Detailed power planning requires managing the complex interplay of power consumption and production, involves very different classes of constraints and preferences, but once plans are generated they are relatively stable.

Barreiro, Javier↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space Station Mission Planning System (MPS) development study. Volume 2

The process and existing software used for Spacelab payload mission planning were studied. A complete baseline definition of the Spacelab payload mission planning process was established, along with a definition of existing software capabilities for potential extrapolation to the Space Station. This information was used as a basis for defining system requirements to support Space Station mission planning. The Space Station mission planning concept was reviewed for the purpose of identifying areas where artificial intelligence concepts might offer substantially improved capability. Three specific artificial intelligence concepts were to be investigated for applicability: natural language interfaces; expert systems; and automatic programming. The advantages and disadvantages of interfacing an artificial intelligence language with existing FORTRAN programs or of converting totally to a new programming language were identified.

Klus, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Descent guidance and mission planning for space shuttle

The Space Shuttle descent mission planning, mission design, deorbit targeting, and entry guidance have necessarily become interrelated because of the nature of the Orbiter's design and mission requirements. The desired descent trajectory has been formulated in a drag acceleration/relative velocity state space since nearly all of the vehicle's highly constraining flight limitations can be uniquely represented in this plane. Constraints and flight requirements that affect the descent are described. The guidance logic which allows the Orbiter to follow the designed trajectory, the impacts of contingency aborts and flightcrew interaction are discussed. The mission planning and guidance techniques remain essentially unchanged through the Shuttle flight test program and subsequent operational flights.

Joosten, B. K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Space Telescope mission planning

Planning and scheduling for the Space Telescope astronomy mission involves a combination of concerns regarding orbital environment constraints and spacecraft operational characteristics. In many cases proper selection or sequencing of observations can minimize the impact of disadvantageous orbital geometry with respect to targets of interest or of repeatedly encountered environmental factors such as spacecraft passages through high radiant regions on the earth's upper atmosphere. An overview is presented of the characteristics of viewing celestial targets from low earth orbit and the principal effects and operational considerations which constrain or restrict the scheduling of observations of them.

Sherrill, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space Station Mission Planning System (MPS) development study. Volume 1: Executive summary

The basic objective of the Space Station (SS) Mission Planning System (MPS) Development Study was to define a baseline Space Station mission plan and the associated hardware and software requirements for the system. A detailed definition of the Spacelab (SL) payload mission planning process and SL Mission Integration Planning System (MIPS) software was derived. A baseline concept was developed for performing SS manned base payload mission planning, and it was consistent with current Space Station design/operations concepts and philosophies. The SS MPS software requirements were defined. Also, requirements for new software include candidate programs for the application of artificial intelligence techniques to capture and make more effective use of mission planning expertise. A SS MPS Software Development Plan was developed which phases efforts for the development software to implement the SS mission planning concept.

Klus, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Atmospheric constraint statistics for the Space Shuttle mission planning

The procedures used to establish statistics of atmospheric constraints of interest to the Space Shuttle mission planning are presented. The statistics considered are for the frequency of occurrence, runs, and time conditional probabilities of several atmospheric constrants for each of the Space Shuttle mission phases. The mission phases considered are (1) prelaunch, (2) launch, (3) return to launch site, (4) abort once around landing, and (5) end of mission landing.

Smith, O. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Atmospheric constraint statistics for the Space Shuttle mission planning

The procedures used to establish statistics of atmospheric constraints of interest to the Space Shuttle mission planning are presented. The statistics considered are for the frequency of occurrence, runs, and time conditional probabilities of several atmospheric constraints for each of the Space Shuttle mission phases. The mission phases considered are (1) prelaunch, (2) launch operations, (3) return to launch site, (4) abort once around landing, and (5) end of mission landing. Previously announced in STAR as N82-33417

Smith, O. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Generic mission planning concepts for space astronomy missions

The past two decades have seen the rapid development of space astronomy, both manned and unmanned, and the concurrent proliferation of the operational concepts and software that have been produced to support each individual project. Having been involved in four of these missions since the '70's and three yet to fly in the present decade, the authors believe it is time to step back and evaluate this body of experience from a macro-systems point of view to determine the potential for generic mission planning concepts that could be applied to future missions. This paper presents an organized evaluation of astronomy mission planning functions, functional flows, iteration cycles, replanning activities, and the requirements that drive individual concepts to specific solutions. The conclusions drawn from this exercise are then used to propose a generic concept that could support multiple missions.

Guffin, O. T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space Station Mission Planning Study (MPS) development study. Volume 3: Software development plan

A software development plan is presented for the definition, design, and implementation of the Space Station (SS) Payload Mission Planning System (MPS). This plan is an evolving document and must be updated periodically as the SS design and operations concepts as well as the SS MPS concept evolve. The major segments of this plan are as follows: an overview of the SS MPS and a description of its required capabilities including the computer programs identified as configurable items with an explanation of the place and function of each within the system; an overview of the project plan and a detailed description of each development project activity breaking each into lower level tasks where applicable; identification of the resources required and recommendations for the manner in which they should be utilized including recommended schedules and estimated manpower requirements; and a description of the practices, standards, and techniques recommended for the SS MPS Software (SW) development.

Klus, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Mission planning for space based satellite surveillance experiments with the MSX

The Midcourse Space Experiment is a BMDO-sponsored scientific satellite set for launch within the year. The satellite will collect phenomenology data on missile targets, plumes, earth limb backgrounds and deep space backgrounds in the LWIR, visible and ultra-violet spectral bands. It will also conduct functional demonstrations for space-based space surveillance. The Space-Based Visible sensor, built by Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the primary sensor on board the MSX for demonstration of space surveillance. The SBV Processing, Operations and Control Center (SPOCC) is the mission planning and commanding center for all space surveillance experiments using the SBV and other MSX instruments. The guiding principle in the SPOCC Mission Planning System was that all routine functions be automated. Manual analyst input should be minimal. Major concepts are: (I) A high level language, called SLED, for user interface to the system; (2) A group of independent software processes which would generally be run in a pipe-line mode for experiment commanding but can be run independently for analyst assessment; (3) An integrated experiment cost computation function that permits assessment of the feasibility of the experiment. This paper will report on the design, implementation and testing of the Mission Planning System.

Sridharan, R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

LEO and GEO missions

The occurrence of the Challenger disaster in early 1986 caused a severe reevaluation of the space program. Plans already established had to be drastically revised and new plans had to be made. NASA created the Space Leadership Planning Group (SLPG) to formulate space mission plans covering a 50 year period based on Agency goals and objectives responsive to the National Commission on Space recommendations. An interim view of the status of SLPG plans for low altitude and geosynchronous missions is presented.

Mercanti, Enrico↗
NASA NTRS1994

A mission planning concept and mission planning system for future manned space missions

The international character of future manned space missions will compel the involvement of several international space agencies in mission planning tasks. Additionally, the community of users requires a higher degree of freedom for experiment planning. Both of these problems can be solved by a decentralized mission planning concept using the so-called 'envelope method,' by which resources are allocated to users by distributing resource profiles ('envelopes') which define resource availabilities at specified times. The users are essentially free to plan their activities independently of each other, provided that they stay within their envelopes. The new developments were aimed at refining the existing vague envelope concept into a practical method for decentralized planning. Selected critical functions were exercised by planning an example, founded on experience acquired by the MSCC during the Spacelab missions D-1 and D-2. The main activity regarding future mission planning tasks was to improve the existing MSCC mission planning system, using new techniques. An electronic interface was developed to collect all formalized user inputs more effectively, along with an 'envelope generator' for generation and manipulation of the resource envelopes. The existing scheduler and its data base were successfully replaced by an artificial intelligence scheduler. This scheduler is not only capable of handling resource envelopes, but also uses a new technology based on neuronal networks. Therefore, it is very well suited to solve the future scheduling problems more efficiently. This prototype mission planning system was used to gain new practical experience with decentralized mission planning, using the envelope method. In future steps, software tools will be optimized, and all data management planning activities will be embedded into the scheduler.

Wickler, Martin↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Challenge of Configuring Model-Based Space Mission Planners

Mission planning is central to space mission operations, and has benefited from advances in model-based planning software. Constraints arise from many sources, including simulators and engineering specification documents, and ensuring that constraints are correctly represented in the planner is a challenge. As mission constraints evolve, planning domain modelers need help with modeling constraints efficiently using the available source data, catching errors quickly, and correcting the model. This paper describes the current state of the practice in designing model-based mission planning tools, the challenges facing model developers, and a proposed Interactive Model Development Environment (IMDE) to configure mission planning systems. We describe current and future technology developments that can be integrated into an IMDE.

model-based systems↗
NASA NTRS1994

Artificial intelligence techniques for scheduling Space Shuttle missions

Planning and scheduling of NASA Space Shuttle missions is a complex, labor-intensive process requiring the expertise of experienced mission planners. We have developed a planning and scheduling system using combinations of artificial intelligence knowledge representations and planning techniques to capture mission planning knowledge and automate the multi-mission planning process. Our integrated object oriented and rule-based approach reduces planning time by orders of magnitude and provides planners with the flexibility to easily modify planning knowledge and constraints without requiring programming expertise.

Henke, Andrea L.↗