RP-check: An architecture for spaceflight command sequence validation
Mark W. Maimone, Scott Maxwell, Jeffrey J. Biesiadecki, S. S. Algermissen · 2018
NASA Mars Rover operations are planned anew every day, in contrast to traditional deep space missions where operations can be planned weeks or months in advance. Verification of the rovers' spacecraft commands must be performed quickly, implemented robustly, and must consider multiple possible outcomes. In this paper we discuss the architecture behind one component of our system, a software tool named RP-check that evaluates command sequences created by the Rover Planner (RP) team. RP-check is one component of the Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program (RSVP), our primary tool for commanding and validating the mobility, arm, and turret subsystems on the rovers. RP-check is the spacecraft sequencing equivalent of programming language analyzers like lint [6]. It automates the analysis of sequences of commands, evaluating their conformance to best practices described by mission-spanning Flight Rules and Rover Planner team-specific recommendations. It checks hundreds of rules and typically completes its assessment in less than 30 seconds, enabling Rover Planners to continuously validate and refine their command sequences many times a day while planning activities. RP-check owes its success to a simple framework that enables it run quickly and makes it easy to add new rules. Built and maintained by members of the Rover Planner team, new rules and test cases can be validated and deployed quickly to ensure that any issues of concern that arise during operations will be addressed in all future plans.