Goal-based operations: leveraging automated planning for space exploration
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operations↗
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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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Allocation of Functions in a Far-Term Air Traffic Control Environment
A human-in-the-loop exploration of a ground-based automated separation assurance concept was conducted that involved the allocation of certain functions between humans and automation. This exploration included operations that were sustained for prolonged periods of time with high levels of traffic in the presence of convective weather and scheduling constraints. An investigation into the acceptability of the defined roles and performance of tasks was conducted where it was found that the participants rated the concept and allocation of functions with a high level of acceptability. However, issues were encountered with the automation related to the detection of and response to tactical conflicts. Lower ratings were given on account of these concerns, and it was found that a key contributor to the underlying problems was transitioning aircraft and the uncertainty of their trajectories. Stemming from those results, participants responded that they would rather have direct control over aircraft transitions as well as more control over the tactical conflict resolution automation. In contrast, participants responded that they would rather have the automation place aircraft back on trajectory, and perform weather avoidance and scheduling tasks.
Homola, Jeffrey↗
Drilling Automation Demonstrations in Subsurface Exploration for Astrobiology
This project proposes to study subsurface permafrost microbial habitats at a relevant Arctic Mars-analog site (Haughton Crater, Devon Island, Canada) while developing and maturing the subsurface drilling and drilling automation technologies that will be required by post-2010 missions. It builds on earlier drilling technology projects to add permafrost and ice-drilling capabilities to 5m with a lightweight drill that will be automatically monitored and controlled in-situ. Frozen cores obtained with this drill under sterilized protocols will be used in testing three hypotheses pertaining to near-surface physical geology and ground H2O ice distribution, viewed as a habitat for microbial life in subsurface ice and ice-consolidated sediments. Automation technologies employed will demonstrate hands-off diagnostics and drill control, using novel vibrational dynamical analysis methods and model-based reasoning to monitor and identify drilling fault states before and during faults. Three field deployments, to a Mars-analog site with frozen impact crater fallback breccia, will support science goals, provide a rigorous test of drilling automation and lightweight permafrost drilling, and leverage past experience with the field site s particular logistics.
Glass, Brian↗
An Enhanced Autonomy Approach to Automated Trajectory Negotiation
Improved real-time decision-making capabilities in both civil transport avionics and airline dispatcher workstations are helping to improve commercial aviation operations in many ways. One emerging capability is the automated derivation of alternate flight plans that yield both flight cost savings and smoother workflow. This emerging capability may be complemented with automated trajectory negotiation capabilities. Here we explore such automated trajectory negotiation capabilities, potential benefit mechanisms, and the required tools, procedures, and architectures.
Trajectory↗
Thin-Ply: Exploration and Manufacturing with Automated Fiber Placement
Abstract Highly repeatable and nearly defect-free fabrication of composite parts is critical to the success and widespread acceptance of composite materials. Through optimization using thin-ply materials, composite parts can be manufactured to be lighter and tailored more specifically to anticipated design loads than with standard prepreg materials alone. However, defects arising from the thin-ply manufacturing process are not always similar to defects found with standard tows. These new defects warrant evaluation. At NASA Langley Research Center, the manufacturing process parameters associated with automated fiber placement (AFP), a slit tape-based composite manufacturing process, were optimized for the use of a thin-ply prepreg carbon-epoxy material. Carbon-epoxy tows with areal weights of 30 g/m2 and 70 g/m2 were used in these manufacturing trials. The AFP process parameters of heater output, compaction force, tow feed rate, and tow tension were adjusted and optimized for successful manufacturing. This article documents an exploration of thin-ply fabrication on both flat and complex-shaped surfaces. Ultimately, aerospace-quality laminates were made from the 70-g/m2 material, but imperfections in the 30-g/m2 material itself and the fact that the AFP machine was not designed for such a thin material meant that more research and trials are required to obtain flight-quality 30-g/m2 laminates.
Carbon-expoxy↗
Exploration and Manufacturing with Automated Fiber Placement
Highly repeatable and nearly defect-free fabrication of composite parts is critical to the success and widespread acceptance of composite materials. Through optimization using thin-ply materials, composite parts can be manufactured to be lighter and tailored more specifically to anticipated design loads than with standard prepreg materials alone. However, defects arising from the thin-ply manufacturing process are not always similar to defects found with standard tows. These new defects warrant evaluation. At NASA Langley Research Center, the manufacturing process parameters associated with automated fiber placement (AFP), a slit tape-based composite manufacturing process, were optimized for the use of a thin-ply prepreg carbon-epoxy material. Carbon-epoxy tows with areal weights of 30 g/m2 and 70 g/m2 were used in these manufacturing trials. The AFP process parameters of heater output, compaction force, tow feed rate, and tow tension were adjusted and optimized for successful manufacturing. This article documents an exploration of thin-ply fabrication on both flat and complex-shaped surfaces. Ultimately, aerospace-quality laminates were made from the 70-g/m2 material, but imperfections in the 30-g/m2 material itself and the fact that the AFP machine was not designed for such a thin material meant that more research and trials are required to obtain flight-quality 30-g/m2 laminates.
carbon-epoxy↗
NASA Telerobotics Highlights, Parts I and II
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station servicing shuttle servicing automated insp↗
Space exploration: The interstellar goal and Titan demonstration
Automated interstellar space exploration is reviewed. The Titan demonstration mission is discussed. Remote sensing and automated modeling are considered. Nuclear electric propulsion, main orbiting spacecraft, lander/rover, subsatellites, atmospheric probes, powered air vehicles, and a surface science network comprise mission component concepts. Machine, intelligence in space exploration is discussed.
Source record↗
Development of an Exploration-Class Cascade Distillation System: Flight Like Prototype Preliminary Design
The ability to recover and purify water through physiochemical processes is crucial for realizing long-term human space missions, including both planetary habitation and space travel. Because of their robust nature, distillation systems have been actively pursued as one of the technologies for water recovery. One such technology is the Cascade Distillation System (CDS) a multi-stage vacuum rotary distiller system designed to recover water in a microgravity environment. Its rotating cascading distiller operates similarly to the state of the art (SOA) vapor compressor distiller (VCD), but its control scheme and ancillary components are judged to be straightforward and simpler to implement into a successful design. Through the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Life Support Systems (LSS) Project, the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in collaboration with Honeywell International is developing a second generation flight forward prototype (CDS 2.0). The key objectives for the CDS 2.0 design task is to provide a flight forward ground prototype that demonstrates improvements over the SOA system in the areas of increased reliability and robustness, and reduced mass, power and volume. It will also incorporate exploration-class automation. The products of this task are a preliminary flight system design and a high fidelity prototype of an exploration class CDS. These products will inform the design and development of the third generation CDS which is targeted for on-orbit DTO. This paper details the preliminary design of the CDS 2.0.
Callahan, Michael R.↗
Developing an Automated Science Analysis System for Mars Surface Exploration for MSL and Beyond
We are developing an automated science analysis system that could be utilized by robotic or human explorers on Mars (or even in remote locations on Earth) to improve the quality and quantity of science data returned. Three components of this system (our rock, layer, and horizon detectors) [1] have been incorporated into the JPL CLARITY system for possible use by MSL and future Mars robotic missions. Two other components include a multi-spectral image compression (SPEC) algorithm for pancam-type images with multiple filters and image fusion algorithms that identify the in focus regions of individual images in an image focal series [2]. Recently, we have been working to combine image and spectral data, and other knowledge to identify both rocks and minerals. Here we present our progress on developing an igneous rock detection system.
Gulick, V. C.↗
Application of automation and robotics to lunar surface human exploration operations
Major results of a study applying automation and robotics to lunar surface base buildup and operations concepts are reported. The study developed a reference base scenario with specific goals, equipment concepts, robot concepts, activity schedules and buildup manifests. It examined crew roles, contingency cases and system reliability, and proposed a set of technologies appropriate and necessary for effective lunar operations. This paper refers readers to four companion papers for quantitative details where appropriate.
Woodcock, Gordon R.↗
Assessment of Automated Fiber Placement for the Fabrication of Composite Wind Tunnel Blades
Composite wind tunnel blades are frequently fabricated by hand layup of prepreg fabrics. Though well proven, this fabrication method is laborious and expensive. The study described in this paper used the Integrated Structural Assembly of Advanced Composites (ISAAC) facility at the NASA Langley Research Center to explore whether automated fiber placement (AFP) could reduce manufacturing time and cost for production of wind tunnel blades. Two blades, taken from two NASA wind tunnels, were investigated as representative geometries. Computer-aided design models of the blade surfaces were created, and AFP process planning and programming were employed to study the manufacturability of the shapes. A placement/cure tool was manufactured for the chosen blade surface from thermoplastic material using an additive manufacturing process. The present study revealed that the AFP head geometry, primarily the heater configuration of the ISAAC system, is the primary constraint that limits the ability to manufacture the selected wind tunnel fan blades using AFP.
Grenoble, Ray↗
Automation and Robotics for space operation and planetary exploration
This paper presents a perspective of Automation and Robotics (A&R) research and developments at NASA in terms of its history, its current status, and its future. It covers artificial intelligence, telerobotics and planetary rovers, and it encompasses ground operations, operations in earth orbit, and planetary exploration.
Montemerlo, Melvin D.↗
Automation and robotics for the Space Exploration Initiative: Results from Project Outreach
A total of 52 submissions were received in the Automation and Robotics (A&R) area during Project Outreach. About half of the submissions (24) contained concepts that were judged to have high utility for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and were analyzed further by the robotics panel. These 24 submissions are analyzed here. Three types of robots were proposed in the high scoring submissions: structured task robots (STRs), teleoperated robots (TORs), and surface exploration robots. Several advanced TOR control interface technologies were proposed in the submissions. Many A&R concepts or potential standards were presented or alluded to by the submitters, but few specific technologies or systems were suggested.
Gonzales, D.↗
Apodized Pupil Lyot Coronagraphs Designs for Future Segmented Space Telescopes
A coronagraphic starlight suppression system situated on a future flagship space observatory offers a promising avenue to image Earth-like exoplanets and search for biomarkers in their atmospheric spectra. One NASA mission concept that could serve as the platform to realize this scientific breakthrough is the Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor (LUVOIR). Such a mission would also address a broad range of topics in astrophysics with a multi-wavelength suite of instruments. The apodized pupil Lyot coronagraph (APLC) is one of several coronagraph design families that the community is assessing as part of NASAs Exoplanet Exploration Program Segmented aperture coronagraph design and analysis (SCDA) team. The APLC is a Lyot-style coronagraph that suppresses starlight through a series of amplitude operations on the on-axis eld. Given a suite of seven plausible segmented telescope apertures, we have developed an object-oriented software toolkit to automate the exploration of thousands of APLC design parameter combinations. This has enabled us to empirically establish relationships between planet throughput and telescope aperture geometry, inner working angle, bandwidth, and contrast level.In parallel with the parameter space exploration, we have investigated several strategies to improve the robust-ness of APLC designs to fabrication and alignment errors. We also investigate the combination of APLC withwavefront control or complex focal plane masks to improve inner working angle and throughput. Preliminaryscientic yield evaluations based on design reference mission simulations indicate the APLC is a very competitiveconcept for surveying the local exoEarth population with a mission like LUVOIR.
coronagraphic starlight suppression system↗
Becoming Earth Independent: Human-Automation-Robotics Integration Challenges for Future Space Exploration
Future exploration missions will require NASA to integrate more automation and robotics in order to accomplish mission objectives. This presentation will describe on the future challenges facing the human operator (astronaut, ground controllers) as we increase the amount of automation and robotics in spaceflight operations. It will describe how future exploration missions will have to adapt and evolve in order to deal with more complex missions and communication latencies. This presentation will outline future human-automation-robotic integration challenges.
human-robotic↗
Solar probe 'Helios'
Helios solar probe for automated spacecraft exploration of interplanetary space near sun, considering design, mission planning and U.S.-German cooperation
Unz, F.↗
The demography of extraterrestrial civilizations
Studies carried out within the last ten years on the nature and distribution of extraterrestrial intelligent life are reviewed. Arguments for the absence of intelligent life in the Galaxy based on the assumption that at least some of these would have engaged in colonization and for the presence of colonies of extraterrestrials in some undiscovered location in the solar system are presented, and it is noted that both these views rest on the notion that interstellar travel can be achieved at high velocities in very large vehicles, which has been questioned. Alternative suggestions concerning interstellar exploration by automated probes and the possible extended time scale and motivation for galactic colonization are pointed out. Attention is then given to arguments for the extreme smallness of one of the factors in the Drake equation used to estimate the number of communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Galaxy, including the frequency of single stars, the likelihood that planets with the correct initial composition and conditions for life are at the proper distance from their stars, the probability of the formation of DNA and the origin of life, and the time for the evolution of intelligence. It is concluded that it seems likely that other civilizations exist in the Galaxy, although the number and distribution of such civilizations may only be determined by the detection of one or more examples.
Billingham, J.↗