Description:
NASA invests in the development of autonomy and automation software, advanced avionics, integrated system health management, and robust software technology capabilities for the purpose of enabling complex missions and technology demonstrations. The software and avionics elements requested within this topic are critical to enhancing flight system functionality, reducing system vulnerability to extreme radiation and thermal environments, reducing system risk, and increasing autonomy and system reliability through processes, operations, and system management. As a game-changing and cross-cutting technology area, autonomous software and avionics are applicable to broad areas of technology emphasis, including heavy lift launch vehicle technologies, robotic precursor platforms, utilization of the International Space Station, and spacecraft technology demonstrations performed to enable long duration space missions. All of these flight applications will require unique advances in software technologies and avionics such as integrated systems health management, autonomous systems for the crew and mission operations, radiation hardened, multi-core processors, and reliable, dependable software. The exploration of space requires the best of the nation's technical community to step up to providing the technologies, engineering, and systems to explore the beyond LEO, visit asteroids and the Moon, and to extend our reach to Mars.
