Autonomy and Decision Support is a key technology area for NASA, and RIACS is leading the way in the development of advanced automation capabilities. Research efforts in this area seek to develop computer software and algorithms to enable progressively more independent decision-making to be made by spacecraft and robots, instead of always relying on human ground controllers for guidance. Over time, this will lead to robots, spacecraft and remote crews that can accomplish more with less communication with ground control, reducing mission costs and increasing scientific return.

During the recent Mars Exploration Rover mission, autonomy software tools played an important role in increasing the amount of science that the rovers were able to conduct each day on Mars. Using a constraint-based planning tool and a mixed-initiative activity planner, activity plans were created on a daily basis for each of the twin Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. These activity plans were then converted into a series of command sequences and beamed to the rovers to be executed. It has been estimated that through the use of MAPGEN, MER mission controllers realized a 20% to 30% increase in scientific return during the mission.

While advances in artificial intelligence for autonomy and decision support will enable new capabilities for the nation’s space program, the technology also has practical application on Earth. Any complex, human guided system can benefit from the implementation of intelligent operations and planning tools. Air traffic control, satellite communications and operations systems, and aircraft flight operations management are just a few areas where such technology can be applied.

 

EUROPA / MAPGEN activity planning software increased scientific return during the Mars Exploration Rover mission by an estimated 20% - 30%.