Operating Autonomous Space Missions: NASA Study Outcomes

The future of scientific discovery in planetary science will increasingly rely on autonomous systems. These systems will use combinations of onboard sensing, perception, analysis, intelligence, reasoning, and decision-making to pose and answer fundamentally new questions as access to previously inaccessible vistas grows. In this regard, machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence techniques will extend beyond analysis to span the full mission lifecycle where future ground-breaking discoveries will depend on applying these methods to the successful operation of autonomous space missions. NASAs Operations of Autonomous Space Missions (OASM) study identified the challenges that must be overcome, and the capabilities, infrastructure, processes, and skills needed, to facilitate transition to operating autonomous systems for future planetary science opportunities in 2030 and beyond. The OASM study drew upon a team of experts across the agency spanning autonomous flight and ground systems, communication and navigation, digital transformation, mission operations, and NASAs Deep Space Network (DSN), as well as prior NASA research and workshops supporting this topic. We will describe the study findings and recommendations that will guide NASAs forward planning as system-level autonomy capabilities are infused into space systems across multiple agencies throughout the world.