Basic principles of an automated mission planning system architecture for the Russian segment of the ISS

Mission planning is one of the key components of the mission control process for orbital complexes, in particular for the International Space Station (ISS). The efficiency of mission program fulfillment, as well as the degree to which the objectives are attained and tasks implemented depends, to a large degree, on the quality of the plans that are being drawn up. In view of adding new modules to the ISS Russian Segment and increasing the number of expedition crew up to six, the need arose to analyze the readiness of the automatic tools for upcoming changes. During the work on the project, experts conducted an assessment of the existing automated system. In addition to this, flight operations planning processes onboard the ISS Russian Segment were analyzed at the execution level. As a result a need was identified to develop radically new automatic tools to support the planning of operations onboard space complexes taking into account the current amounts of information that needs to be processes in the course of planning, as well as current tools and approaches to the implementation of process automation tasks. The new system enables continuous planning cycle at the execution level. It embodies, on one hand, the modular principle, and, on the other hand, the single data structure, which makes it possible to expand the system capacity while exchanging data with neighboring business units and international partners in the ISS operation.