Information Technology Challenges of NASA Distributed Space System: Wednesday September 17, 2003

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Computer Science Seminar Series: Wednesday September 17, 2003

Title: Information Technology Challenges of NASA Distributed Space System
Missions

Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Cheung
              NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
              Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics
              Greenbelt, MD 20771
              E-mail: [email protected]

Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Time: 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Location: John-Dewey Lounge, Old Mill

Abstract

Many future NASA missions will be accomplished by deploying multiple
spacecraft.  These Distributed Space Systems (DSS) allows scientists to
exploit new vantage points, develop new sensing strategies and implement
system-wide techniques that promote agility, adaptability, evolvability,
scalability, and affordability.  They will enable scientific returns that
are not possible by flying single-spacecraft missions.  Information
technology has played an important role since the beginning of space
flight and will take on an ever more central role in DSS missions.
Significant advances in information technology research will be required
to meet the challenges posed by the DSS mission.  The Autonomous
Nano-Technology Swarm (ANTS) is an advanced, biologically-inspired, DSS
mission concept that builds on the recent advances in the field of
robotics, artificial intelligence, and distributed systems technologies.
I will illustrate the information technology challenges by describing the
Prospecting ANTS Mission to explore the Main Belt Asteroids
(http://ants.gsfc.nasa.gov).

URL:
http://www.cs.uvm.edu/~bslee/csdept/csseminar/fall03/Cynthia_Cheung.htm