Enabling astronaut self-scheduling using a robust advanced modelling and scheduling system: An assessment during a Mars analogue mission

Human long duration exploration missions (LDEMs) raise a number of technological challenges. This paper addresses the question of the crew autonomy: as the distances increase, the communication delays and constraints tend to prevent the astronauts from being monitored and supported by a real time gr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAdvances in space research Vol. 72; no. 4; pp. 1378 - 1398
Main Authors Saint-Guillain, Michael, Vanderdonckt, Jean, Burny, Nicolas, Pletser, Vladimir, Vaquero, Tiago, Chien, Steve, Karl, Alexander, Marquez, Jessica, Wain, Cyril, Comein, Audrey, Casla, Ignacio S., Jacobs, Jean, Meert, Julien, Chamart, Cheyenne, Drouet, Sirga, Manon, Julie
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier B.V 15.08.2023
Subjects
Astronauts autonomy
Long duration exploration missions
Operations management
Scheduling
Uncertainty
Operations management
Uncertainty
Astronauts autonomy
Scheduling
Long duration exploration missions
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Summary:Human long duration exploration missions (LDEMs) raise a number of technological challenges. This paper addresses the question of the crew autonomy: as the distances increase, the communication delays and constraints tend to prevent the astronauts from being monitored and supported by a real time ground control. Eventually, future planetary missions will necessarily require a form of astronaut self-scheduling. We study the usage of a computer decision-support tool by a crew of analog astronauts, during a Mars simulation mission conducted at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS, Mars Society) in Utah. The proposed tool, called Romie, belongs to the new category of Robust Advanced Modelling and Scheduling (RAMS) systems. It allows the crew members (i) to visually model their scientific objectives and constraints, (ii) to compute near-optimal operational schedules while taking uncertainty into account, (iii) to monitor the execution of past and current activities, and (iv) to modify scientific objectives/constraints w.r.t. unforeseen events and opportunistic science. In this study, we empirically measure how the astronauts, who are novice planners, perform at using such a tool when self-scheduling under the realistic assumptions of a simulated Martian planetary habitat.
ISSN:0273-1177
1879-1948
DOI:10.1016/j.asr.2023.03.045