Towards a Heuristic for Scheduling the James Webb Space Telescope

Scheduling the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) requires modeling and minimizing the buildup of angular momentum of the spacecraft. Accounting for momentum management is expected to be a major driver of spacecraft efficiency and lifetime. We develop a heuristic that reduces momentum buildup and show how the heuristic can be used in a simulation of the operations concept for JWST scheduling. Through experimental data we show how the heuristic improves momentum usage while maintaining high spacecraft efficiency on a representative science mission for JWST. Finally, we explore how the momentum heuristic closely mirrors the strategies required to efficiently schedule the Hubble Space Telescope.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: AIPS
• Authors: Mark E. Giuliano, Reiko Rager, Nazma Ferdous
• Keywords: AIPS 2007, Artificial Intelligence, Heuristic, Heuristic Improves Momentum, Spacecraft Efficiency