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Verifiable Plans for Spacecraft Autonomy

Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)

Description

Robust, reliable autonomy is essential to the success of future robotic space missions. Verification and Validation (V&V) of plans is essential to assuring their correctness. Testing is time-consuming and error-prone due to large space of possible scenarios. This project will provide an efficient and direct approach to the V&V of spacecraft plans via further development of symbolic model checking, an abstract and guided approach for V&V of software, to V&V plans for autonomous spacecraft.

Benefits

Plans are usually V&Ved through testing, which is time-consuming and can miss important cases. Symbolic model checking is a more direct and efficient approach, focusing on properties of interest rather than exhaustive testing. This project will provide an efficient and direct approach to the V&V of spacecraft plans via further development of symbolic model checking, an abstract and guided approach for V&V of software, to V&V plans for autonomous spacecraft.

Details

Technology areaAutonomous Systems > Engineering and Integrity > Verification and Validation of Autonomous Systems
ProgramCenter Innovation Fund: ARC CIF (ARC CIF)
Lead organizationAmes Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Start date2022-10-01
End date2023-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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