Hierarchical modeling approach for the automatic planning of space operation mission

Abstract

Space operation needs the collaboration of many systems and its execution is a complex process, which greatly increases the difficulty of knowledge representation of system state, timing and constraints. Usually, the realization of a mission requires the cooperation of multiple sub-missions, so the action level model, which is a single level modeling approach, cannot support the automatic planning of space operation. The paper builds the model field of space operation by using hierarchical modeling method. It divides operation activities into two levels: action level and mission level. The model of action is created by the relations and constraints between action and system states, and the model of mission is built by sub-missions and their constraints. The models of actions, missions and constraints such as resources compose the field of space operation. Analysis and simulation shows that the approach could model space operation effectively.