Autonomously Maintaining Mission Objectives using Fault Management

Singularity-IA proposes the development of a proof-of-concept software application to design fault detection and mitigation functions into complex systems using modelling, simulation, intelligent design automation, and requirements-based constraints to assist with the design of optimal Fault Management (FM) solutions.FM solutions are an important enabler of autonomous operation.nbsp; They help reduce operations costs by reducing the number of required monitoring personnel and help increase the chances of success by ensuring a rapid response to faults.NASArsquo;s science program has over 100 spacecraft in operation or development.nbsp; Many of these platforms are autonomous, or uncrewed, and many other agencies (both government and commercial) around the world are launching spacecraft of their own.nbsp; The industry for autonomous vehicles is growing rapidly and expected to transform all aspects of travel on the ground, in the air, and in space.nbsp; FM technologies are necessary to keep people safe and to keep things running.The design process needs to integrate FM concepts from the beginning, and we plan to develop a proof-of-concept tool that makes this easier.nbsp; Our plan is to replicate an analogous spacecraft power system on a real-world test stand and develop the tools and capability to model and simulate this test stand with various fault conditions.nbsp; We will use this ability to determine the ideal design to achieve FM objectives, then build a real-world version of the FM system and test it in the real-world power test stand.nbsp;This approach ties a modelling and simulation capability to a real-world system, which allows us to assess performance of the approach.nbsp; We will leverage existing tools and capabilities where possible, and add new features where required.nbsp; Broad simulation testing and intelligent design automation will simplify and accelerate the design process ensuring that engineers can create more reliable and fault tolerant systems in less time than before.