Use of Semi-Autonomous Tools for ISS Commanding and Monitoring

As the International Space Station (ISS) has moved into a utilization phase, operations have shifted to become more ground-based with fewer mission control personnel monitoring and commanding multiple ISS systems. This shift to fewer people monitoring more systems has prompted use of semi-autonomous console tools in the ISS Mission Control Center (MCC) to help flight controllers command and monitor the ISS. These console tools perform routine operational procedures while keeping the human operator "in the loop" to monitor and intervene when off-nominal events arise. Two such tools, the Pre-positioned Load (PPL) Loader and Automatic Operators Recorder Manager (AutoORM), are used by the ISS Communications RF Onboard Networks Utilization Specialist (CRONUS) flight control position. CRONUS is responsible for simultaneously commanding and monitoring the ISS Command & Data Handling (C&DH) and Communications and Tracking (C&T) systems. PPL Loader is used to uplink small pieces of frequently changed software data tables, called PPLs, to ISS computers to support different ISS operations. In order to uplink a PPL, a data load command must be built that contains multiple user-input fields. Next, a multiple step commanding and verification procedure must be performed to enable an onboard computer for software uplink, uplink the PPL, verify the PPL has incorporated correctly, and disable the computer for software uplink. PPL Loader provides different levels of automation in both building and uplinking these commands. In its manual mode, PPL Loader automatically builds the PPL data load commands but allows the flight controller to verify and save the commands for future uplink. In its auto mode, PPL Loader automatically builds the PPL data load commands for flight controller verification, but automatically performs the PPL uplink procedure by sending commands and performing verification checks while notifying CRONUS of procedure step completion. If an off-nominal condition occurs during procedure execution, PPL Loader notifies CRONUS through popup messages, allowing CRONUS to examine the situation and choose an option of how PPL loader should proceed with the procedure. The use of PPL Loader to perform frequent, routine PPL uplinks offloads CRONUS to better monitor two ISS systems. It also reduces procedure performance time and decreases risk of command errors. AutoORM identifies ISS communication outage periods and builds commands to lock, playback, and unlock ISS Operations Recorder files. Operation Recorder files are circular buffer files of continually recorded ISS telemetry data. Sections of these files can be locked from further writing, be played back to capture telemetry data that occurred during an ISS loss of signal (LOS) period, and then be unlocked for future recording use. Downlinked Operation Recorder files are used by mission support teams for data analysis, especially if failures occur during LOS. The commands to lock, playback, and unlock Operations Recorder files are encompassed in three different operational procedures and contain multiple user-input fields. AutoORM provides different levels of automation for building and uplinking the commands to lock, playback, and unlock Operations Recorder files. In its automatic mode, AutoORM automatically detects ISS LOS periods, then generates and uplinks the commands to lock, playback, and unlock Operations Recorder files when MCC regains signal with ISS. AutoORM also features semi-autonomous and manual modes which integrate CRONUS more into the command verification and uplink process. AutoORMs ability to automatically detect ISS LOS periods and build the necessary commands to preserve, playback, and release recorded telemetry data greatly offloads CRONUS to perform more high-level cognitive tasks, such as mission planning and anomaly troubleshooting. Additionally, since Operations Recorder commands contain numerical time input fields which are tedious for a human to manually build, AutoORM's ability to automatically build commands reduces operational command errors. PPL Loader and AutoORM demonstrate principles of semi-autonomous operational tools that will benefit future space mission operations. Both tools employ different levels of automation to perform simple and routine procedures, thereby offloading human operators to perform higher-level cognitive tasks. Because both tools provide procedure execution status and highlight off-nominal indications, the flight controller is able to intervene during procedure execution if needed. Semi-autonomous tools and systems that can perform routine procedures, yet keep human operators informed of execution, will be essential in future long-duration missions where the onboard crew will be solely responsible for spacecraft monitoring and control

Configural decision support tool for schedule management of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-108).As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) become increasingly autonomous, current single-UAV operations involving multiple personnel could transition to a single operator simultaneously supervising multiple UAVs in high-level control tasks. These time-critical, single-operator systems will require advance prediction and mitigation of schedule problems to ensure mission success. However, actions taken to address current schedule problems may create more severe future problems. Decision support could help multi-UAV operators evaluate different schedule management options in real-time and understand the consequences of their decisions. This thesis describes two schedule management decision support tools (DSTs) for single-operator supervisory control of four UAVs performing a time-critical targeting mission. A configural display common to both DSTs, called StarVis, graphically highlights schedule problems during the mission, and provides projections of potential new problems based upon different mission management actions. This configural display was implemented into a multi-UAV mission simulation as two different StarVis DST designs, Local and Q-Global. In making schedule management decisions, Local StarVis displayed the consequences of potential options for a single decision, while the Q-Global design showed the combined effects of multiple decisions. An experiment tested the two StarVis DSTs against a no DST control in a multi-UAV mission supervision task. Subjects using the Local StarVis performed better with higher situation awareness and no significant increase in workload over the other two DST conditions. The disparity in performance between the two StarVis designs is likely explained by the Q-Global StarVis projective "what if" mode overloading its subjects with information. This research highlights how decision support designs applied at different abstraction levels can produce different performance results.by Amy S. Brzezinski.S.M

Modified Cooper Harper scales for assessing unmanned vehicle displays

Unmanned vehicle (UV) displays are often the only information link between operators and vehicles, so their design is critical to mission success. However, there is currently no standardized methodology for operators to subjectively assess a display's support of mission tasks. This paper proposes a subjective UV display evaluation tool: the Modified Cooper-Harper for Unmanned Vehicle Displays (MCH-UVD). The MCH-UVD is adapted from the Cooper-Harper aircraft handling scale by shifting focus to support of operator information processing. An experiment was conducted to evaluate and refine the MCH-UVD, as well as assess the need for mission-specific versus general versions. Participants (86%) thought that MCH-UVD helped them identify display deficiencies, and 32% said that they could not have identified the deficiencies without the tool. No major additional benefits were observed with mission-specific versions over the general scale.U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Cente

EXPORTS Measurements and Protocols for the NE Pacific Campaign

EXport Processes in the Ocean from Remote Sensing (EXPORTS) is a large-scale NASA-led and NSF co-funded field campaign that will provide critical information for quantifying the export and fate of upper ocean net primary production (NPP) using satellite information and state of the art technology

Children with psoriasis and COVID-19: factors associated with an unfavourable COVID-19 course, and the impact of infection on disease progression (Chi-PsoCov registry)

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised questions regarding the management of chronic skin diseases, especially in patients on systemic treatments. Data concerning the use of biologics in adults with psoriasis are reassuring, but data specific to children are missing. Moreover, COVID-19 could impact the course of psoriasis in children. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the psoriasis of children, and the severity of the infection in relation to systemic treatments

Hallmark discoveries in the biology of Wilms tumour.

The modern study of Wilms tumour was prompted nearly 50 years ago, when Alfred Knudson proposed the 'two-hit' model of tumour development. Since then, the efforts of researchers worldwide have substantially expanded our knowledge of Wilms tumour biology, including major advances in genetics - from cloning the first Wilms tumour gene to high-throughput studies that have revealed the genetic landscape of this tumour. These discoveries improve understanding of the embryonal origin of Wilms tumour, familial occurrences and associated syndromic conditions. Many efforts have been made to find and clinically apply prognostic biomarkers to Wilms tumour, for which outcomes are generally favourable, but treatment of some affected individuals remains challenging. Challenges are also posed by the intratumoural heterogeneity of biomarkers. Furthermore, preclinical models of Wilms tumour, from cell lines to organoid cultures, have evolved. Despite these many achievements, much still remains to be discovered: further molecular understanding of relapse in Wilms tumour and of the multiple origins of bilateral Wilms tumour are two examples of areas under active investigation. International collaboration, especially when large tumour series are required to obtain robust data, will help to answer some of the remaining unresolved questions

Children with psoriasis and COVID-19: factors associated with an unfavourable COVID-19 course, and the impact of infection on disease progression (Chi-PsoCov registry)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised questions regarding the management of chronic skin diseases, especially in patients on systemic treatments. Data concerning the use of biologics in adults with psoriasis are reassuring, but data specific to children are missing. Moreover, COVID-19 could impact the course of psoriasis in children. Objectives: The aim of this study was therefore to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the psoriasis of children, and the severity of the infection in relation to systemic treatments. Methods: We set up an international registry of paediatric psoriasis patients. Children were included if they were under 18 years of age, had a history of psoriasis, or developed it within 1 month of COVID-19 and had COVID-19 with or without symptoms. Results: One hundred and twenty episodes of COVID-19 in 117 children (mean age: 12.4 years) were reported. The main clinical form of psoriasis was plaque type (69.4%). Most children were without systemic treatment (54.2%); 33 (28.3%) were on biologic therapies, and 24 (20%) on non-biologic systemic drugs. COVID-19 was confirmed in 106 children (88.3%) and 3 children had two COVID-19 infections each. COVID-19 was symptomatic for 75 children (62.5%) with a mean duration of 6.5 days, significantly longer for children on non-biologic systemic treatments (P = 0.02) and without systemic treatment (P = 0.006) when compared with children on biologics. The six children who required hospitalization were more frequently under non-biologic systemic treatment when compared with the other children (P = 0.01), and particularly under methotrexate (P = 0.03). After COVID-19, the psoriasis worsened in 17 cases (15.2%). Nine children (8%) developed a psoriasis in the month following COVID-19, mainly a guttate form (P = 0.01). Discussion: Biologics appear to be safe with no increased risk of severe form of COVID-19 in children with psoriasis. COVID-19 was responsible for the development of psoriasis or the worsening of a known psoriasis for some children. © 2022 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology