Craig Cruzen

Autonomous Payload Operations Onboard the International Space Station

Operating the International Space Station (ISS) involves many complex crew tended, ground operated and combined systems. Over the life of the ISS program, it has become evident that by having automated and autonomous systems onboard, more can be accomplished and at the same time reducing the workload of the crew and ground operators. Engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama, working in collaboration with The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, have developed an autonomous software system that uses the Timeliner User Interface Language and expert logic to continuously monitor ISS payload systems, issue commands and signal ground operators as required. This paper describes the development history of the system, its concept of operation and components. The paper also discusses the testing process as well as the facilities used to develop the system. The paper concludes with a description of future enhancement plans for use on the ISS as well as potential applications to Lunar and Mars exploration systems.

The HAL 9000 Space Operating System

The operations paradigm of moving ground operator functions to on-board autonomous functions utilizing the Timeliner system has been proven on the International Space Station (ISS). In April of 2005, the first Higher Active Logic (HAL 1) automated command software was deployed on-board the ISS command and control (C&C) system. This initial version of a Timeliner software prototype provided limited automation capabilities, such as event-driven, autonomous command script installation and removal as well as autonomous startup and shutdown control of Health and Status (H&S) data for payloads. In September of 2005, the HAL 2 System added to the Execution Component, a shared memory allocation, mapped specifically for HAL System use. This version also became fully autonomous for all payload H&S control and would recover configuration and communications from a Payload Multiplexor/De-Multiplexor (MDM) failure. Finally, HAL 2 provided English text messages to ground operators, essentially allowing the ability to follow an automated sequence execution. With the future in mind, the designers provided for the operational interfaces needed for configuring and interacting with the autonomous execution. Once these interfaces were established, the door was open for “automated control of the automation,” which would involve the ability to control the automation to effect a real-time (RT) re-plan. HAL 3 was deployed in June of 2006 and supported fully automated payload commanding. The HAL System has not sent a command in error to date. This design paper builds on the C&C capabilities demonstrated with the current HAL 3 architecture[1] and provides a safe and proven design/development methodology for human operation of automated vehicles. The HAL 9000 System introduces an integrated series of intelligent RT Executive/re-plan software engines that control Subsystem auto-operators (Timeliner-TLX Engines) that together become the intelligent operator, now located on-board the spacecraft. The HAL 9000 design integrates safety and mission assurance into all aspects of C&C, from development and planning to RT execution. This paper will detail the software design and hardware architecture of the four components of the HAL 9000 System. It will also describe the vehicle and software development integration methodology that must be employed to implement the HAL 9000 System. An analysis of the development costs and schedule impacts of such a methodology will be provided and conclude with the operations scenarios to describe the internal interfaces and algorithms of the system as it operates as well as the required human interfaces and controls. 1 2

Operational Concept for the NASA Constellation Program's Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

The Ares I is a shuttle-derived two-stage launch vehicle. The Ares I is comprised of a first stage, which is a five-segment reusable solid rocket booster, and a second stage, or upper stage, which is a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen rocket system powered by a single J-2X engine. The operational goal for this launch vehicle is to reduce operating costs and increase system reliability for human missions to the International Space Station and to the Moon. The Ares I will be designed to accommodate efficient operations for the ground and ascent phases of the mission by both the Ground Operations Project and the Mission Operations Project, respectively. This paper provides an overview of the latest Ares I architecture, operations goals, and the operational concepts for both the ground operation and mission operation phases of the launch vehicle. The latest concepts for the Ares I communication and tracking, engineering support, system integration laboratory, operational infrastructure, logistical support, flight and ground operational planning and execution, training, and sustaining engineering are also addressed. The integration of these across the Ares I system, as well as ongoing trades that may impact the design, are examined as well. The operational scenarios for the Ares I element assembly, integration and testing, transportation, prelaunch operations, launch and ascent operations, and post-mission operations are discussed, along with a status of the contingency and off-nominal operations scenarios. Operational concepts drive operations requirements, which drive optimized operations attributes into the design. These operations attributes in the design—‘design for operability’ —ensure that the launch vehicle can be operated in an efficient and cost-effective manner, at minimum risk of loss of crew or mission, and are characterized by high levels of safety, producibility, reliability, maintainability and supportability. The degree to which the design is imbued with the attributes will be manifested in the system readiness, launch availability, and affordability of the integrated vehicle, all of which are governed by Ares I operations requirements.

Space operations : innovations, inventions, and discoveries

Space Operations: Innovations, lnventions, and Discoveries is a collection of materials presented at the 13th SpaceOps Conference, held in 2014 in Pasadena, California and organized by Caltechs Jet Prepulsion Laboratory. From numerous papers presented at the event, those selected for this volume represent a cross section of four main subject areas: Breakthrough Technologies for Space Operations; Mission Design and Concepts; Ground System Advances for Efficient and Secure Operations and Mission Operations. All of the selected papers exemplify the SpaceOps organizations goal of presenting and discussing the current state of space operations and the most recent developments in the field.

Space operations : experience, mission systems, and advanced concepts

Space Operations: Experience, Mission Systems, and Advanced Concepts is a collection of materials presented at the 12th SpaceOps Conference, held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2012. From the almost 300 papers presented and discussed at the conference, those selected for this volume represent a cross section of three main subject areas: Mission Preparation and Management - mission design, development, and planning; Data and Communications - the infrastructure needed on the ground, from antennas to software, in order to communicate with and retrieve data from spaceborne resources; and Mission Execution - a focus on the aspects of specific space missions during preparation for flight and throughout operations. All of the selected papers exemplify the SpaceOps organizations goal of presenting and discussing the current state of space operations and the most recent developments in the field.

Utilizing virtual missions to achieve real operations savings

As part of the Constellation Program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began preparation for a simulated Ares I/Orion mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Designated as Virtual Mission 1 (VM-1), it simulated the integration milestones and successfully executed a crew rotation mission, culminating with a “launch” on June 19, 2009 and a “splashdown” of the returning Orion capsule a few weeks later.1,2 The accomplishments of this activity were significant in that a baseline schedule as well as many of the operations activities and integrated products were identified and developed by a small, focused group across NASA. This group was selected to leverage the operations expertise gained from the Space Shuttle, ISS and other NASA programs. By using legacy systems and processes, the Constellation Program cost-effectively prepared for early missions. A small number of these virtual missions were scheduled prior to the first actual mission in order to improve the mission development process. The theory was as the vehicle design and mission objectives matured the mission operations concept would mature; therefore, the Constellation Program could take advantage of the lessons learned during the virtual missions to reduce life-cycle costs and risks. Concentrating on the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Ares I launch vehicle tasks, the authors, working in close coordination with design engineers, proposed integration schedules, operations tools, products, and analyses to give: 1) a smart estimate of the operational tasks required to integrate and fly a real mission and 2) ways to achieve real cost savings in the operational phase. This paper describes the virtual mission integration schedule, requirements and deliverables developed for the Ares I vehicle. It also describes several off nominal events simulated as part of VM-1. The paper concludes by assessing the virtual mission concept and suggesting ways to make it even more effective.

Operational considerations and comparisons of the Saturn, Space Shuttle and Ares launch vehicles

The United States (U.S.) space exploration policy has directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to retire the Space Shuttle and to replace it with a new generation of space transportation systems for crew and cargo travel to the International Space Station, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. As part of the Constellation Program, engineers at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama are working to design and build the Ares I, the first of two large launch vehicles to return humans to the Moon. A deliberate effort is being made to ensure a high level of operability in order to significantly increase safety and availability as well as reduce recurring costs of this new launch vehicle. It is the Ares Projects goal to instill operability as part of the requirements development, design and operations of the vehicle. This paper will identify important factors in launch vehicle design that affect the operability and availability of the system. Similarities and differences in operational constraints will also be compared between the Saturn V, Space Shuttle and current Ares I design. Finally, potential improvements in operations and operability for large launch vehicles will be addressed. From the examples presented, the paper will discuss potential improvements for operability for future launch vehicles.