NASA SBIR 2003 Solicitation

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)
Sanjeev   Seereeram
Seereeram@ssci.com
500 West Cummings Park Suite 3000
Woburn ,MA  01801 -6580
(781) 933 - 5355
U.S. Citizen or Legal Resident: Yes

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Autonomous multiple spacecraft formation flying represents a critical enabling technology for future space missions, including NASA's Space and Earth Science Enterprises. The overall goal of this effort is to develop a general-purpose, onboard Autonomous Multi-spacecraft Supervisory Engine (AMSE) for guidance, navigation and control (GNC) functions, suitable for a wide range of formation flying and distributed, multi-spacecraft missions. It will be developed using the concepts of Intelligent Systems and Hybrid Model Predictive Optimization. The proposed approach will use systematic methodologies for formation modeling, optimal resource allocation and task/activity sequencing and control. During the proposed effort, SSCI will develop and demonstrate an AMSE system for selected multiple-spacecraft formation-flying tasks, using representative constraints for onboard and formation resources. AMSE technology will provide a general framework for implementation of onboard autonomy for future multiple spacecraft missions, which is both resource and constraint-aware. The AMSE design is most relevant to distributed S/C Formation Flying missions (such as Terrestrial Planet Finder), although the concepts and technology are generically applicable to all autonomous S/C systems.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
AMSE technology will provide a general framework for implementation of onboard autonomy for future multiple spacecraft missions. Although specifically designed for coordination and execution of GNC functions, AMSE will be implemented at the system level and can be interfaced to additional autonomy systems (such as AI-based or heuristic-based) in order to leverage existing and complementary system capabilities, such as ASPEN or CASPER. AMSE design is directly relevant to distributed S/C applications (Formation Flying missions) such as TPF, StarLight, and ultimately Planet Imager or Life-Finder. However, the concepts and autonomous GNC technology are generically applicable to all autonomous S/C systems.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Outside of NASA, the burgeoning Unmanned Aerial Vehicle area is a natural application for AMSE technology. Other potential applications include Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.