DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR THE COMMAND AND CONTROL OF AN ORBITING SPACECRAFT.

The operation of a large spacecraft in Earth orbit containing many experiments controlled remotely from the ground is a difficult problem which requires a very interactive environment to be successful. The author examines the question of how complicated space mission can be controlled, where possible failure of subsystems, or unpredictable effects in a dynamic, changing environment can risk the very success of the mission. He describes a space mission being designed for the late 1980s. A proposed solution is the development of an expert system for the command and control of a scientific spacecraft. The solution is described in the context of space mission previously flown and work in AI currently being done by the author.