APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO NASP

THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE APPLICABILITY OF EXPERT SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY TO THE NATIONAL AERO-SPACE PLANE (NASP). IT WILLINVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING REAL-TIME, COOPERATING, DISTRIBUTED EXPERT SYSTEMS EXECUTING IN EITHER ON-BOARD OR GROUND-BASED COMPUTERS (OR BOTH) TO PERFORM A VARIETY OF FUNCTIONS. THE FUNCTIONS INCLUDE MISSION PLANNING (INCLUDING REAL-TIME REPLANNING); SYSTEM MONITORING, DIAGNOSTICS AND MANAGEMENT; AND TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL. PRUDENT APPLICATION OF THIS BRANCH OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO NASP WILL IMPROVE THE PLATFORM'S OPERATIONAL VERSATILITY, ADAPTABILITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS. SPECIFIC POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE AN ON-BOARD CAPABILITY OF ADJUSTING A MISSION PLAN IN REAL-TIMEIN RESPONSE TO A SYSTEM FAILURE OR DEGRADED PERFORMANCE, AN ON-BOARD CAPABILITY OF MONITORING AND PROVIDING DIAGNOSTICS FOR NASP SUBSYSTEMS, AND PREFLIGHT PLANNING BASED ON THE AUTOMATED FLIGHT-TEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. EXPERT-SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY IS PARTICULARLY SUITED TO ABORT-TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT, PROPULSION-SYSTEM MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS, AND FLIGHT-TEST PLANNING. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE APPLICABILITY OF EXPERT SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY TO THE NATIONAL AERO-SPACE PLANE (NASP). IT WILLINVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING REAL-TIME, COOPERATING, DISTRIBUTED EXPERT SYSTEMS EXECUTING IN EITHER ON-BOARD OR GROUND-BASED COMPUTERS (OR BOTH) TO PERFORM A VARIETY OF FUNCTIONS. THE FUNCTIONS INCLUDE MISSION PLANNING (INCLUDING REAL-TIME REPLANNING); SYSTEM MONITORING, DIAGNOSTICS AND MANAGEMENT; AND TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL. PRUDENT APPLICATION OF THIS BRANCH OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO NASP WILL IMPROVE THE PLATFORM'S OPERATIONAL VERSATILITY, ADAPTABILITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS. SPECIFIC POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE AN ON-BOARD CAPABILITY OF ADJUSTING A MISSION PLAN IN REAL-TIMEIN RESPONSE TO A SYSTEM FAILURE OR DEGRADED PERFORMANCE, AN ON-BOARD CAPABILITY OF MONITORING AND PROVIDING DIAGNOSTICS FOR NASP SUBSYSTEMS, AND PREFLIGHT PLANNING BASED ON THE AUTOMATED FLIGHT-TEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. EXPERT-SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY IS PARTICULARLY SUITED TO ABORT-TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT, PROPULSION-SYSTEM MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS, AND FLIGHT-TEST PLANNING.