What is observation scheduling?
The schedule for a two-week portion of a mission timeline is discussed, modeled, and planned the two weeks prior to it occurring. During this time, 9 instrument teams will firstly define their wants and needs during the course of the upcoming timeline. Then this information, along with the requirements of a number of other stakeholders, will all be absorbed by Mission Planners whose responsibility it is to model the mission, allot resources and enact compromises. These resources include energy, DSN (Deep Space Network) access, trajectory maneuvers, time, orientation, and more.
For in depth info on the complexities of scheduling, see how it was done on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission here.
The Problem
Ultimately the complexity of these plans means they must be run through modeling software to ensure their validity. However, this modeling is time consuming, outdated, and written in an internal code unknown to anyone outside of NASA - and most in NASA. This results in bottlenecking, as Mission Planners are of the select few with the modeling skills required to ensure schedule feasibility and optimization.
Engineers and technicians inspect the main body of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft after it was built and delivered by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, to the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in early June. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman
Design Challenge
In order to reduce spacecraft scientific planning bottleneck, design a visual programming language that will co-exist alongside its IDE counterpart to accommodate non code-friendly users.
1
Effectively translate the modeling portion of the mission planner role into tools that enable modeling by instrument teams
2
Address where similar internal NASA tools have failed in the past
3
Ensure these tools do not take away control and capabilities from existing mission planners
4
Ultimately Reduce mission planning bottleneck
Solution
The following are extensively stripped down glimpses of our node based visual programming interface. This will allow scientists of various backgrounds to design observations, model resource allotment, and leverage A.I. to navigate compromises.
Atomic Research Database
Standardizing Workflows
Card Sorting
User Flows
Wireframes
Prototypes
Mockups
User Research
One of the first steps to understanding our users was fully was for me to assess user interviews and observational inquiries, placing findings into the newly started Europa Clipper Atomic Research Database.
Findings redacted.
Atomic Database and Standardizing Workflows
Because I was of the first to add to and implement the Europa Clipper Atomic Research Database, I also took the initiative to design workflows so as to best utilize our gathered information in the future.
This included how we defined, reinforced, and validated use cases. It also included how junior designers interface with the database—Because it is so important to represent design well at NASA, it became difficult to move forward with work without the express permission of senior designers.
This is where I developed a set of checks and validations so that designers of any level could add to, utilize, and export database information without the risk of miscommunicating with outside stakeholders.
User Personas
Through analysis, card sorts, and discussions I developed the first ever set of personas and user flows for the Clipper software team. These particular flows were strategically designed to introduce a more human-like perspective of our users to engineers.
Not only would these be available for reference by designers for the foreseeable future, but I was able to introduce to engineers the concept of designing for users by highlighting key components of their behavior instead of referencing complex process flows. I would then write internal documentation for persona uses cases, and present that documentation to the team.
Heuristic Analysis
Prior to low-fidelity UI work I performed a heuristic analysis of existing internal visual programming tools. I would go on to evaluate these tools through our defined usability heuristics, create a lengthy written report of my findings, and then present those findings to product owners, team leaders, and other stakeholders.
Product Requirement Collections
I then documented the constraints required for scientists to make complete observations, their frequency of use, and other nuances that may be difficult to define. This would include distance, time, celestial bodies, orientation, temperature required, and more—enabling engineers to convert these rules into user-friendly code.
Design Systems
While a Design System for Europa Clipper had been newly created, my visual syntax work would ultimately be introducing functions and concepts that hadn't yet been required. With the existing system in mind, these newly created components would need to be easily implemented or altered by future designers
Usability Testing
While a Design System for Europa Clipper had been newly created, my visual syntax work would ultimately be introducing functions and concepts that hadn't yet been required. With the existing system in mind, these newly created components would need to be easily implemented or altered by future designers
Personal Insights
Time and time again at JPL I was reminded of the importance of strategic communication. Navigating an engineer-led environment alongside scientists with storied careers in aerospace requires a level of care I've yet to experience since in my career. Maintaining trust with subject-matter experts through illustrated understanding of space exploration was not just important, but vital to a design team working tirelessly to make an impact with their relatively new seat at the table.
Ultimately, this is just a tiny part of what is going to end up replacing software that scientists and engineers at NASA have used to plan observations for decades. I really wish I could see what it turns into, although I likely never will—a small price to pay for the inspiration that I've received spending my time alongside exceptional people working on something much greater than myself.
Europa Clipper is seen in the 25-Foot Space Simulator at JPL in February, before the start of thermal vacuum testing. A battery of tests ensures that the NASA spacecraft can withstand the extreme hot, cold, and airless environment of space. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
