Innovative Rover Operations Concepts - Autonomous Planner (IRONCAP) - Concluding the adventure

IRONCAP was an ESA study project to explore and define the concepts, techniques and interactions needed to plan and schedule the activities of an interplanetary rover. Its aim was to develop a prototype system to support the science and engineering planning activities of an interplanetary rover using state-of-the-art methods and techniques in planning and scheduling combined with existing and/or developing ground segment systems and technologies. The prototype was required to support the situational analysis of the rover and facilitate the planning and scheduling of activities/observations for the applicable autonomy levels. It was designed for supporting the two types of teams in their daily activities. As with any rover mission, situational assessment of the rover has to be repeatedly performed to establish the context in which the next planning of operations can be performed. This is performed on an engineering level and on a science level both with their own goals and objectives. O...