Thriving in the irregular and the unknown: system control
for space exploration
Michael L. Rilee*
L-3 Communications GSI, Largo, MD 20774
Steven A. Curtis† and John E. Dorband‡ and Cynthia Y. Cheung§
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
David E. Lary**
UMBC/GEST NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
and
Hamse Y. Mussa††
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, UK
Crucial to the development of a system of systems infrastructure for space exploration is a truly
scalable control architecture. This architecture must be built on the reliable, adaptable operation
and co-operation of autonomous systems at multiple levels. Advances in hardware and software
computing technology allow us to consider anew the range of control systems from reactive, low-
level to deliberate, heuristic systems.
At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), we have been developing the means to create
space and surface systems that are active participants in their environment rather than being
merely visitors that withstand space’s hazards as our extended remotely controlled tools. Central
to this work has been the development of the Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm (ANTS)
mission architecture and the Neural Basis Function Synthetic Neural System (NBF/SNS) which are
included among the subjects of several GSFC provisional patent applications. These are scalable
systems with non-linear dynamics built in to deal with irregularity, uncertainty, and
unpredictability in their environments. These system architectures outline pathways from existing
near-term capabilities to far-term enabling technologies.
Nomenclature
ART = Addressable Reconfigurable Technology
ANTS = Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm
ENI = Evolvable Neural Interface
GSFC = Goddard Space Flight Center
LaRC = Langley Research Center
NBF = Neural Basis Function
NMP = New Millenium Program
PAM = Prospecting Asteroids Mission
RASC = Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts
SNS = Synthetic Neural System
SMART = Super Miniaturized Addressable/Autonomous Reconfigurable Technology
1-TET = One Tetrahedron
12-TET = Twelve Tetrahedron
* Scientist, Planetary Magnetospheres Lab, NASA/GSFC 695.1, AIAA Member.
† Laboratory Chief, Solar System Exploration Planetary Magnetospheres Lab, NASA/GSFC 695, AIAA Member.
‡ Computer Scientist, Planetary Magnetospheres Lab, NASA/GSFC 931, AIAA Member.
§ Astrophysicist/Data System Engineer, Planetary Magnetospheres Lab, NASA/GSFC 695.1, AIAA
** Senior Scientist, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, Department Name, NASA/GSFC 900.3.
†† Research Scientist, Molecular Informatics Centre, Unilever Centre.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
1
1st Space Exploration Conference: Continuing the Voyage of Discovery
30 January - 1 February 2005, Orlando, Florida
AIAA 2005-2710
This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States.