Automated Generation of Tracking Plans for a Network of Communications Antennas

This paper describes the Deep Space Network Antenna Operations Planner (DPLAN) : a system that automatically generates antenna tracking plans for a set of highly sensitive radio science and telecommunications antennas. DPLAN accepts as input an equipment configuration and a set of requested antenna track services. The system then uses a knowledge base of antenna operations procedures to produce a plan of activities that will provide the requested services using the allocated equipment. DPLAN produces this plan using an integration of hierarchical task network (HTN) and operator-based planning. A prototype of the DPLAN system was successfully demonstrated in February 1995 at NASA’s experimental DSN station, DSS-13, on a series of Voyager tracks. Based on this successful demonstration, DPLAN is being considered for inclusion in the larger Network Monitor and Control (NMC) upgrade underway projected to save NASA over $9 million per year in operations costs.