In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task Scheduling

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MOL The Mission Operations Laboratory MOL The Mission Operations Laboratory NASA MSFC Huntsville, Alabama In-Space Crew- Collaborative Task Scheduling John Jaap Space Systems Operations Branch Mission Operations Laboratory Marshall Space Flight Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1-256-544-2226 [email protected] Patrick Meyer Elizabeth Davis Lea Richardson

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In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task Scheduling. John Jaap Space Systems Operations Branch Mission Operations Laboratory Marshall Space Flight Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1-256-544-2226 [email protected]. Patrick Meyer Elizabeth Davis Lea Richardson. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task Scheduling

Page 1: In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task Scheduling

MOLThe Mission

Operations Laboratory

MOLThe Mission

Operations Laboratory

NASA MSFC Huntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task Scheduling

John JaapSpace Systems Operations BranchMission Operations LaboratoryMarshall Space Flight CenterNational Aeronautics and Space [email protected]

Patrick MeyerElizabeth DavisLea Richardson

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Chart 2NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task SchedulingJohn Jaap 25 October, 2006

Presentation Outline Introduction

Light-time delays Interplanetary internet Message bus Collaboration defined Integration

Concept of operations Widespread collaboration Collaboration on final schedule

Collaborative scheduling software Equipment mode modeling Task modeling Automatic scheduling Mixed-initiative scheduling Resources, conditions, and autonomous systems Terminology and standards User interfaces

Conclusion

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Chart 3NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task SchedulingJohn Jaap 25 October, 2006

IntroductionNASA has a vision to send humans to the moon and Mars. These missions are long and stressful.

The astronauts need to participate in scheduling.

The astronauts need autonomy. Quick response to anomalies Extended loss of communication

Technological advances are available to help. Delay-tolerant networks Remote-access planning and scheduling systems

♦ 18+ months♦ Earth only a point of light

♦ 4+ months return time♦ No voice conversations with earth

♦ Meet personal preferences♦ Have a sense of control over their own actions

♦ Understand reasons for task times

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Chart 4NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task SchedulingJohn Jaap 25 October, 2006

Light-Time Delays (to Mars) Close approach is

56x106 km or3.1 minutes (one way).

Far retreat is400x106 km or22.2 minutes (one way).

The earth overtakes Marsevery 26 months.

Relay satellites can help with solar occultation and the delay-tolerant network. Diagram shows a relay satellite

trailing the earth by 90 degrees

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Chart 5NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task SchedulingJohn Jaap 25 October, 2006

Communications for Mars Exploration Interplanetary internet

Path known even whendestination is unavailable

Long time delays expected Store-and-forward a good solution

Message bus Publish / subscribe (one-way communication) Standard infrastructure, standard message protocol

General name:Delay-Tolerant Network

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Chart 6NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task SchedulingJohn Jaap 25 October, 2006

Collaboration in General

Passive collaborationBased on a concept of operation. Example: guards who work at different gates to ensure that only ticket holders enter the arena.

Of course, a special concept of operations is required.

Text Messaging

Working jointly to produce a product or attain a goal.

Interactive collaboration Face-to-face Teleconferencing and web conferencing Custom software Instant messaging and chat rooms File transfer Electronic forums Electronic mail Postal mail

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Chart 7NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

In-Space Crew-Collaborative Task SchedulingJohn Jaap 25 October, 2006

Enabling Principles for Collaboration

The contributions of one collaborator will not invalidate the contributions of another. This includes the crew’s contributions.

Collaborators need only minimum expertise in the knowledge realm of other collaborators.

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Chart 8NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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Concept of Operations

Widespread collaboration on preliminary timeline

(including crew)Crew / scheduling cadre

collaboration on final timeline

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Chart 9NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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Contributors to Widespread Collaboration on Preliminary Timeline Task experts –

First-hand knowledge about the tasks to be done and how to order the tasks to accomplish the goals.

Hardware and systems experts – Detailed knowledge about how the hardware performs and how it is integrated with systems.

Scheduling cadre – Knowledge of program goals. Produce the detailed timelines. Final tweaks to timeline.

Crew – First-hand knowledge of in-space situation, personal preferences.

Other contributors – Provide availabilities, predictions, and simulation of companion autonomous systems including robots / rovers.

TL developed on earth

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Contributors to Final Timeline

Crew – Modify timeline based on in-space situation, personal preferences, etc.Modify models based on actual configurations.Delete tasks as desired / needed.Add tasks as desired / needed.

Scheduling Cadre – Verify actions of crew (when time permits).Modify models and timeline as needed.

TL finalized in space

Of course, custom planning and scheduling software is required.

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Planning and Scheduling Software

Key features –

♦ Comprehensive modeling schema that represents all the constraints

♦ Automatic scheduler that understands the models and produces a desired timeline

♦ Remote access to the scheduling system

♦ Human interface that is user friendly to all users including the crew

♦ Use of standard terminology

♦ Ability to perform over a delay-tolerant network

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Chart 12NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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P&S Software – Modeling Equipment mode modeling

Equipment and their modes are modeled independently of the tasks that use the equipment.

Resource and condition constraints are assigned in the equipment modes.

Models can define a hierarchy of constraints and alternate constraints.

Task network modeling Tasks use equipment in specified modes, variable durations. Temporal networks of tasks are defined using relationships

like during, after, overlap, cyclic, etc. Variable timing Optional tasks

Models are built on earth by experts. Occasionally they are

modified by the crew.

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Chart 13NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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P&S Software – Automatic Scheduling with an Incremental Engine

An incremental scheduling engine supports collaboration. Multiple remote users

can submit requests. Scheduling a request

doesn’t change what is already scheduled.

The engine can delete items on the schedule if nothing is invalidated.

The engine can replace items if nothing is invalidated.

Consistent with enabling principles.

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P&S Software – Mixed-Initiative Scheduling Engine

Mixed-initiative scheduling best used only by experts. Requires in-depth

knowledge of requirements Requires broad knowledge

of contents of TL Often has complex GUI. Displays comprehensive list

of endangered constraints. Can allow the user to override constraints. Can be used to invoke an incremental engine to add to

timeline.Not always consistent with

enabling principles.

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Chart 15NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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P&S Software – Resources, Conditions, and Autonomous Systems

Resources(power, storage lockers, camera)

Conditions(sunlight, communications, weather)

Autonomous systems(robots, rovers, etc.)

During preliminary TL development, resources and conditions are predicted by earth-based software.

During final TL development, they are predicted by in-space software.

During preliminary TL development, autonomous systems are simulated.

During final TL development, the primary scheduler interacts (negotiates) with the autonomous systems schedulers. Example: robot is asked when it is available for a task, the primary scheduler schedules the task, and sends a message to the robot to commit the TL.

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Chart 16NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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P&S Software – Terminology & Standards Collaboration by many diverse contributors requires

standard terminology and standard methods. Crew collaboration and crew autonomy require standard

terminology and software. Current / historic scheduling community is fragmented.

Examples: Terminology:

State vs. condition Goal set vs. operational sequence vs. task network

Approach: Start and end events vs. task

duration Implicit resource usage

Standards bodies, such as the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), are available to apply their expertise in establishing,

negotiating, and documenting the needed data standards.

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Chart 17NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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P&S Software – User Interfaces

Collaboration requires good user interfaces. Experts in many diverse fields must become “virtual”

scheduling experts.Scheduling experts must be able to comprehend the

requirements entered by others.The crew must be

able to use any part.The crew will need

specialized userinterfaces.

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Chart 18NASA MSFCHuntsville, Alabama

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ConclusionWhen the earth appears as a mere point of light,

and round-trip communication delays exceed half an hour, the humans on the journey must have significant control over their

daily timeline and the timelines of their companion systems.

In a new concept of operations, multiple, dispersed, earth-based teams and the crew collaborate on a preliminary timeline. Once the preliminary timeline is uplinked, the crew will become the primary

contributors with minimal ground support.

Implementing this new concept requires software that is delay tolerant, supports multiple users, is remotely accessible,

uses standard terminology, and has good user interfaces.And a delay-tolerant network must be implemented.