Ground Processing Optimization Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

The ultimate goal is the automation of a large amount of KSC's planning, scheduling, and execution decision making. Phase II will result in a complete full-scale implementation of a general framework and its application to several problems at KSC to create several operational systems (e.g., for Ground Processing (GP) and the Cryogenic Test Bed (CTB)) and other systems targeting future, advanced applications (e.g., autonomous cryogenic operations). During Phase II, delivered applications will improve scheduling of SLS Processing and V&V activity, including reduced scheduler manpower, reduced turnaround time in response to changes and what-ifs, and more optimal schedules; improve CTB Planning and Scheduling; and complete the diagnosis, planning, scheduling, and execution closed loop system for more-automatic ground and autonomous space-based cryogenic operations. The KSC Engineering Development Lab has substantial development and testing efforts ongoing for automatically diagnosing faults in cryogenic operations. By interfacing our system to these applications, it effectively completes the closed loop system required for completely autonomous operations. Our Phase II system will participate in a number of demonstrations during Phase II to prove the capabilities for future advanced more-automatic ground and space-based operations. Letters of support are included in this proposal from the managers of the groups that would use the operational systems in Phase II and the manager of the project demonstrating future, advanced applications. This Phase II effort will also improve the ability of SMEs to customize intelligent scheduling systems, capture corporate knowledge, and implement the required interfaces to allow operational use and participation in cryogenic operations demonstrations.

The most direct targets for transition of this proposed effort are the large number of various payload and vehicle processing planning, scheduling, and execution applications at KSC, most specifically GP SLS processing and V&V scheduling, CTB Test Planning and Scheduling, and autonomous cryogenic operations. These customers will begin using delivered applications operationally during the Phase II. By showing their ability to create high-quality schedules with greatly reduced manpower, they will clearly illustrate the advantages over the status quo. Because it will be possible for SMEs to customize the applications themselves to their own scheduling problems, a large number of intelligent scheduling applications can be quickly developed. As more are fielded, additional synergies will be created by the cooperative interactions between the different intelligent scheduling applications. Capabilities to easily interface and interact cooperatively and in a peer-to-peer manner with legacy scheduling systems will also provide additional cooperative synergies. This is especially true given that Primavera is the designated schedule rendering and transmission tool for all of KSC and our system will have Primavera import/export capabilities. There is potential to automate the majority of scheduling decision-making at KSC with a corresponding massive savings in highly skilled manpower. Beyond KSC, NASA has many difficult scheduling problems the system could be readily adapted to.

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has nearly identical scheduling problems as do the various commercial space companies (Space X, Blue Origin, Boeing, ULA, etc.). On the commercial side, Stottler Henke already sells the Aurora intelligent scheduling framework and associated customization services to private companies. Commercial Aurora sales have already resulted in over $5 million in revenue. Phase II improvements can be readily incorporated into Aurora and sold through existing channels. By providing for SME customization, this effort will be removing the most significant current constraint on Aurora sales—the need for Stottler Henke in 90% of the customization projects. An SME-customizable version of Aurora would be applicable to orders of magnitude more customers. And by requiring far less of our time, it would allow us to sell the product for far less. More specifically, the types of 3-D graphical resource and constraint editing and scheduling being added (for hazardous operations and space and weight limited areas) will also make the Phase II system applicable to the Ship Building, Refinery Turnaround, Power Plant Turnaround, Mining, and Commercial Space markets; commercial markets that we have specifically targeted for the new capabilities and have reseller agreements already for. We pledge to apply over $400,000 annually for 3 years (more than $1.2M total) to commercialize the proposed project results starting in the second year of the project.

This is a mature technology (TRL 9) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.