https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930014051 2020-03-17T06:58:27+00:00Z Technical Memorandum 103895 0 AdvancingAutomation and RoboticsTechnology for the Space Station _,,_-_Freedomand for the U.S. Economy Committee Technical Memorandum 103895 Advancing AutomationandRobotics Technologyfor the SpaceStationFreedom and for the U.S. Economy Progress Report 13 February 15, 1991 through August 15, 1991 Submitted to the Congress of the United States November 1991 Advanced Technology Advisory Committee National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California 94035-1000 Cover: SpaceStationFreedom PermanentlyMannedCapability Insets: Lunar Base Planetary Exploration Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................. 1 Background ......................................................................................... 1 Climate ................................................................................................ 2 ATAC Concerns ................................................................................. 2 Potential Impact on U.S. Leadership in A&R .................................... 3 Focus of Next ATAC Meeting ........................................................... 4 ATAC Assessments .................................................................................. 5 Basis of Assessments .................................................................. ,........ 5 Assessment of Progress on ATAC Report 12 Recommendations ....... 5 A&R Status Review of Levels I and II; WP1, WP2, WP4; SSCC and POIC; and Science Payloads ....................................... 10 New A&R Issues: Space Station Control Station .............................. 14 Onboard SSF Science, Operations, and Maintenance ........................ 15 A&R Technology Utilization ............................................................ 16 ATAC Progress Report 13 Recommendations .................................... 17 Space Station Control Center ............................................................ 17 Onboard SSF Science, Operations, and Maintenance ...................... 17 A&R Technology Utilization ........................................................... 17 References ............................................................................................... 18 Appendices A: Space Station Freedom Program A&R Progress ...................... A- 1 B: Japanese A&R Space Station Program ..................................... B-1 C: Canadian Space Station Program Mobile Servicing System .... C-1 D: Acronyms .................................................................................. D-1 E: NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee ................. E-1 OR]GINAL PASE BLACK AND WHITE PI--r'OT(9('_RAPH Life Science Plant Dissection Utilizing Telesclence Telescience provides for effective interaction of the experiment Principal Investigator (P/) with the onboard crew and experiment through audio and video communications, and networked computer workstations. ThePI isab/e to see a camera view of the onboard laboratory operations insidethe onboard g/ovebox through video down/ink. The onboard crew member is able to see a camera view of the P/'s ground laboratory work area through video up/ink, and receive coaching or assistance. Operational experiment procedures are displayed on both the P/'s and crew's computer screens. f Astronaut performing plant dissection under microgravity environment Principal investigator assisting astronaut from ground laboratory Introduction Background range of future mission scenarios in keep- ing with the needs of space station users In response to the mandate of Congress, and the long-term goals of U.S. space NASA established, in 1984, the policy. Advanced Technology Advisory Com- The ATAC has continued to monitor mittee (ATAC) to prepare a report identi- and prepare semiannual reports on fying specific Space Station Freedom NASA's progress in the use of A&R in (SSF) systems which advance automation achieving this goal. The reports are doc- and robotics (A&R) techno!ogies. In umented in the ATAC Progress Reports l March 1985, as required by Public Law through 12 (refs. 2-13). Progress Reports 98-371, ATAC reported to Congress the 1 through 5 covered the definition and results of its studies (ref. 1). The first preliminary design phase (Phase B) of ATAC report proposed goals for A&R Space Station Freedom. Progress Reports applications for the initial and evolution- 6 through 10 covered the startup of the ary space station. Additionally, ATAC design and development phase (phase provided recommendations to guide the C/D) of the SSF. Reports 11 and 12 have implementation of A&R in the Space Sta- covered the restructured design of SSF tion Freedom Program (SSFP). which was required by Congress in late A further requirement of the law was 1990. Phase C/D will lead to a com- that ATAC follow NASA's progress in pletely assembled station to be opera- this area and report to Congress semian- tional in the late-1990's. nually. In this context, ATAC's mission ATAC Progress Report 12, like pre- is considered to be the following. vious ATAC reports, received wide dis- semination. ATAC Progress Report 12 ATAC Mission " was distributed in the following categories: Congress: 25 Copies Independently review conduct of NASA: 240 Copies the Space Station Freedom Pro- Industry: 110 Copies gram to assess the application of Universities: 50 Copies A&R technology with considera- Total: 425 Copies tion for safety, reliability, schedule, This report is the thirteenth in the performance, and cost effective- series of progress updates and covers the ness (including life-cycle costs). period of February 15, 1991 through Based upon these assessments, August 15, 1991. To provide a useful, develop recommendations to concise report format, all of the commit- enhance A&R technology applica- tee's assessments have been included in tion, and review the recommenda- the section "ATAC Assessments." This tions with NASA management for section of the report includes comments their implementation. Report on SSFP's progress in responding to the assessments and recommendations ATAC recommendations in Report 12. twice annually to Congress. Also, a summary of progress in A&R in the Space Station Program Office as The Space Station Freedom Program written by SSFP is provided as an is charged with developing a baseline appendix. In addition, appendices are station configuration that provides an ini- included on the Japanese A&R Space tial operational capability and which, in Station Program and the Canadian Space addition, can be evolved to support a StationMobileServicingSystem.The (4) The Space Station Control Center command/control, systems failure detec- reportdrawsuponindividualATAC (SSCC) proposed design for Mission tion, and systems failure analysis with members'understandingandassessmentsOperations has not taken full advantage distributed processing for the planning oftheapplicationofA&RintheSSFP of rule-based expert systems as utilized in and flight design elements of the SSCC. anduponmaterialpresentedduringan the Reai-T{me Data Systems (RTDS) for The SSCC design allows for future distri- ATACmeetingheldAugust13-15,1991, onboard systems failure detection. As a bution of systems failure detection and forthepurposesofreviewingtheSSFP result, flight Controller productivity will failure analysis processing to the realtime A&Ractivitiesandformulatingthe be limited until expert system capabilities flight controllers' workstations, it is pointsofthisreport_ are available in the SSCC during the ATAL'Ys opinion that a distributed Permanently Manned Capability (PMC) computational environment for SSCC operations phase of the program. systems failure detection and failure Climate (5) SSF's capability to support the analysis, including expert systems, proposed life and material sciences exper- should be Implemented to enhance A preliminary assessment of the SSF iments during the Man-Tended Capability flight controller productivity in the restructuring, made in response to the management and control of SSF's mis- Congressional budget reduction, was (MTC) period may be marginal and could be enhanced with the addition of A&R sion operations. This configuration completed at the August 1991 ATAC technologies. would offer a better environment for meeting. A summary of the major system the eventual migration of advanced impacts are as follows: In summary, the Congressional- automation technologies back into the (1) All space robotic systems/ mandated reduction has resulted SSF's onboard system. technologies for Space Station Freedom in (1) a deletion of all U.S.-devel- The presently baselined SSCC data will be provided by the Canadians and oped space robotics capability, distribution design incorporates a Fiber Japanese. Robotic interface standards are (2) has removed all onboard Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) net_ being developed by the SSF Project advanced automation from the work employing Open Systems lntercon- Office to ensure compatibility with the U.S. portion of SSF, and (3) may nection (OSI) protocols. The OSI proto- SSF infrastructure and will provide an preclude advanced automation opportunity for the integration of U.S.- cols have not been developed specifically technology evolution from for robotics control and would likely developed space robotics, e.g., the Flight implementation in SSF onboard