Course of action modeling and visualization in augmented space

An increasingly congested and contested space environment, coupled with a rapid rate of growth in data from space systems, has challenged mission operations centers with the difficult task of accurately making sense of the space environment. While automated systems process and optimize massive amounts of data, operators also need the ability to intuitively understand how their systems are impacted from a changing landscape. The analysis and comparison of courses of action (COA) for space mission planning are historically performed with tools that do not convey a clear shared common operating picture (COP) of possible scenarios and their implications, thus not effectively communicating the intent and planning guidance to accomplish an assigned mission. Modeling and simulation efforts are accomplished using a particular set of tools and the results are then transcribed to presentation views with limited fidelity. A better shared understanding of the COP can be achieved by collaborating in the development and analysis of COAs and visualizing the impacts and risks associated with potential COAs. Emerging augmented reality (AR) technologies offer the ability for multiple people to simultaneously visualize and interact with virtual constructs and information in a collaborative virtual environment (CVE). To facilitate effective COA analysis and wargaming, operational decision makers and space situational awareness (SSA) analysts can benefit from having a capability that allows them to collaboratively build, visualize and interact with space mission resource models in AR.