REDUCTION OF SPACE SYSTEMS COSTS VIA USE OF EXPERT SYSTEMS

A NOVEL AND INNOVATIVE APPLICATION OF AN EXPERT KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEM (KBS) TO SPACE SYSTEMS IS PROPOSED. A KBS DESIGN CONCEPT WILL BE DEVELOPED TO AUTONOMOUSLY MANAGE AND OPERATE SPACE GROUND SUPPORT SYSTEMS. IN PHASE I, THE KBS DESIGN WILL BE EVALUATED AS A TOOL IN INCREASING EFFICIENCY, RELIABILITY, MISSION SUCCESS, AND SAFETY; TO REDUCE COSTS OF MANAGEMENT, DESIFN INTEGRATION AND TEST; AND TO OPTIMIZE MISSION PLANNING, REAL-TIME PLACEMENT IN ORBIT AND REAL-TIME OPERATION OF SPACE SYSTEMS. THE KEY FACTORS IN SPACE SYSTEMS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO LIFE CYCLE COSTS WILL BE DELINIATED AND RANKED. THESE WILL COMPRISE THE PRIMARY AREAS TO TARGET FOR OPERATION BY A HIGHLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND MISSION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, A PORTION OF WHICH IS TO BE APPLIED TO SPACE SYSTEMS (AS OPPOSED TO LAUNCH PROCESSES, SEE AF88-164). THE RESEARCH WILL YIELD AN AI DEVELOPMENT DATABASE, A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE RISK OF KBS DEVELOPMENT, AND A METHODOLOGY FOR PERFORMING TRADE-OFF ANALYSES TO IDENTIFY THE MOST BENEFICIAL APPLICATIONS OF KBS TECHNOLOGY TO THE SPACE SYSTEMS PROBLEM. FINALLY, THE STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF AUTONOMY THAT CAN BE DELEGATED TO ON-BOARD VMMS, ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLEMENTARY GROUND SYSTEMS, AND SELECT THE MOST BENEFICIAL SOLUTION FOR EACH CLASS OF SPACE SYSTEM.