On Board Autonomy Operations for OPS-SAT Experiment

Abstract

Upcoming space missions are requiring a higher degree of on-board autonomy operations to increase quality science return, to minimize close-loop space-ground decision making, and to enable new scenarios. Artificial Intelligence technologies like Machine Learning and Automated Planning are becoming more and more popular as they can support data analytics conducted directly on-board as input for the on-board decision making system that generates plans or updates them while being executed. This paper describes the planning and execution architecture under development at the European Space Agency to target this need of autonomy for the ops-sat mission to be launched in 2019.