SBIR-STTR Award

The Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS) needs to process situational awareness (SA) data from many sources and incorporates the resulting assessments to perform automated, intelligent tasking of space assets. SA and automated resource management (RM) for space assets take a significant amount of infrastructure and layers of technologies working in concert to be effective in a spacecraft ground system for cyberspace operations. To perform effective SA and RM, applications must interface many types of data sources, correlate that data to specific conditions, display that information in ways an operator can understand it, and use it to make intelligent RM decisions. Emergent Space Technologies, Inc. is proposing to use an expert system to gain more SA of a satellite ground system and to enable better automated RM of space assets. The solution will be a service-oriented architecture (SOA) platform that will enable system integrators to easily construct SA displays that exploit existing sources of space asset data and to manage the assets using expert system technologies. The SA displays and expert system will enable end users to better manage the space assets in a more intelligent and effective manner.

Benefit:
The ultimate goal of this project is to integrate the SOA platform with situational awareness (SA) and resource management (RM) capabilities into JMS and ORS operational systems. Emergent has laid the groundwork for implementing new innovations that can make it to market significantly quicker than those starting a project without the same infrastructure. The innovation being tackled in this case is the application of expert system technologies to ground system operations. Emergent is also looking to commercialize the SOA platform to other government and commercial ground systems. We are currently working with the Goddard Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on ground system technologies and plan to solicit the SOA platform to every upcoming NASA mission. Current NASA missions we are working with or soliciting include the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) at JPL and the Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) at GSFC. MSL is the next Mars rover mission and the FDF is responsible for TDRSS space network operations and orbital and attitude products for many of the GSFC missions. We also look to streamline and automate operations for existing missions that are looking to reduce operations overhead or further empower current operators. Emergent is also looking to market the SOA platform to commercial satellite providers, such as the upcoming Iridium NEXT project to replenish the current constellation of Iridium satellites.

Keywords:
Situational Awareness, Resource Management, Service-Oriented Architecture, Mission Operations, Cyberspace Operations, Expert System, Automation, Planning And Scheduling

The main objective of this task is to demonstrate that multiple systems with assorted architectures within the DoD can share data to better enable Warfighter Tasking. As opposed to manually transferring data products through high latency means like Microsoft PowerPoint or Word documents through email or file transfer protocol (FTP), which may require phone calls to operators and preparation time and then manual data entry into the application requiring the new information, data should be made available instantly 100% of the time when the proper security credentials are supplied. A Warfighter will make better informed decisions when more data is available to them in a timelier manner, which can significantly impact outcomes and the safety of our soldiers. The key technology that will enable enhanced Warfighter Tasking is a data format and protocol bridge service to connect the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS) with the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Mission Services Interface (MSI), and potentially other platforms in the future. JMS employs a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that leverages web services and ORS employs the NASA GMSEC messaging architecture.

Benefit:
There are several benefits to be gained by developing a GMSEC-JMS bridge, which include: 1. Improved Warfighter tasking due to the availability of additional information (i.e. cloud cover, satellite positions, Intel, etc.) 2. Enabler for real-time flow of satellite information from the 50SW to JSpOC, as the 50SW is also looking at adopting GMSEC 3. Real-time awareness of ORS and JSpOC assets between both organizations 4. Ability to more rapidly interface with other DoD organizations 5. Enhanced readiness to adopt future technologies At the completion of Phase III, Emergent will be able to provide a fully operational software product that could be deployed to multiple DoD government organizations, such as the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The initial customers for the MBS will be the JMS and ORS so data can be shared among the two different architectures. Emergent has also participated in demonstrations in the SMC-SN Compatible C2 Test Bed managed by The Aerospace Corporation in Chantilly, VA. The target customer for this demonstration could have an interest receiving information from the JMS or another GMSEC control center.

Keywords:
Message –oriented Middleware (Mom), Gsfc Mission Services Evolution Center (Gmsec), Java Messaging System (Jms), Web Services, Service-Oriented Architecture (Soa), Enterprise