Cooperating Intelligent Systems for Space Mission Support

Abstract

Ford Aerospace Corporation has been investigating the use of intelligent systems for space mission support since the early 1980s. Our research is motivated by the concept of independent, yet cooperating, intelligent systems operating in the survivable mobile ground stations of the future. Each intelligent system (IS) functions independently for localized situations and cooperates with other ISs to address situations of global system influence. This paper describes our research approach for implementing cooperating intelligent systems in a space systems environment. A satellite power management scenario is used to illustrate the approach.