The space exploration initiative-an information system perspective

Abstract

The President has referred to the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) as the "Mission from planet Earth". This paper looks at the SEI from an information system perspective and discusses information system definition efforts being conducted in support of NASA's Lunar Mars Exploration Program Office (LMEPO) at JSC. The development of an integrated, effective SEI information System (SIS) is recognized as crucial t o the success of the SEI missions. This paper outlines some of the new and unique challenges for the SIS as evidenced in the Lunar and the Mars missions along with soma preliminary conceptual approaches, both architectural and technological, being investigated to address them.

The State of the Art of Information Integration in Space Applications

“…An information system of space exploration is not well bounded; it encompasses ground base, onboard, surface system on planetary, communication infrastructure and information processes of other associated systems. The scope of a space information system was typically complicated and went far beyond the horizon of single mission [77]. In this section, the technologies used in space information systems are discussed as the aspects of sensing, communication, networking, data processing, security assurance, and integrated space applications.…”

“…Space information is the primarily contribution of space explorations; while space exploration is required to develop complex and large-scale spacecraft and surface systems, and the demands of information in operating the spacecraft and surface systems also depends on the functionalities and level of automation, and requires responsiveness to users or remote controls. Hartenstein and Stephens [77] discussed space explorations from the perspective of information systems; they found it was most critical to develop integrated and effective information systems for successful space exploration missions. The variants of mobility, load, time delay of space objects brought the problems and challenges in transmitting data in connecting space objects to the ground [95].…”

“…Antenna systems should be advanced to increase transmission rate by the polarization of laser-based photonic coherence. Space communication is often interplanetary with a mix of manned and unmanned system; therefore, the FRs of space communication include the solutions to remoteness from earth, synchronized operations, long-duration and complex missions, and simultaneous information infrastructure [77].…”