| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 02- S3.02-7576 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 024423 ) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Precision Constellations for Interferometry |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Autonomous Resource Allocation and Task Management for Multi-Spacecraft Formatio |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Scientific Systems Co Inc
500 West Cummings Park, Suite 3000
Woburn , MA 01801 - 6580
(781 ) 933 - 5355
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Ravi Prasanth / Raman K Mehra
prasanth@ssci.com
500 West Cummings Park Suite 3000
Woburn , MA 01801 - 6580
(781 ) 933 - 5355
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Autonomous multiple spacecraft represent a critical enabling technology for future space missions. Currently, significant pre-flight planning and ground tasking are needed to design operational sequences for single-spacecraft missions. Multiple-spacecraft missions (especially formation flying tasks) dramatically increase the complexity of planning, sequencing and tasking, rendering them possibly intractable for current mission design approaches. The overall goal of this effort is to develop an Autonomous Dynamic Formation Planner (ADFP) applicable to multi-spacecraft formation flying tasks, using systematic methodologies for model-based prediction, optimal resource allocation and task/activity sequencing and control. During the proposed effort, SSC will develop and demonstrate an ADFP system for selected multiple-spacecraft formation-flying tasks, using representative constraints for onboard and formation resources. ADFP technology will provide a general framework for implementation of onboard autonomy for future multiple spacecraft missions, which is both resource and constraint-aware. Our project team includes subcontract support from the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Sciences, RIACS (a division of the Universities Space Research Association), and the Colorado Space Grant College (University of Colorado, Boulder).
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed Autonomous Dynamic Formation Planner technology is generically applicable to other DOD and DARPA multiple spacecraft programs. AFRL is planning to operate autonomous satellite constellations for future strategic objectives in space-based remote sensing, global intelligence and C3I networks. (For instance, TechSat 21 will demonstrate on-orbit autonomous satellite constellation technologies.) As these programs become operational, the commercial market for multiple and distributed spacecraft onboard autonomy will become necessary as OEM technology suppliers. ADFP will be developed and marketed in concert with established aerospace platform and avionics suppliers.
POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed Autonomous Dynamic Formation Planner technology addresses an important need for spacecraft autonomy for future multiple-spacecraft missions. Future NASA missions which will directly benefit from this technology include multi-spacecraft constellations and Formation Flying space platforms within the NASA Space Science Enterprise (Origins, Sun-Earth and SEU themes), including the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF), Constellation-X, Magnetospheric Constellation (DRACO), Laser Interferometry Space Antenna (LISA) and others.Applications within the Earth Science Enterprise which propose distributed spacecraft constellations are also applicable.