PLANNING IN THE CONTINUOUS OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION

Theresa Maxwell, Jeff Hagopian  
theresa.maxwell@msfc.nasa.gov
NASA/MSFC


Abstract:
The International Space Station (ISS) provides a  unique environment within
which the planning and  scheduling of science operations is performed. This 
environment is different from the existing man-based  shuttle planning in that
shuttle planning is oriented  towards highly intensive short duration
missions,  whereas ISS planning must address the characteristics  of an
extremely long duration mission. The ISS  mission is in effect years in
duration, with a great deal  of emphasis to date placed on subdividing that
mission  into increments. The approach to defining increments  for ISS is
predicated to some degree on trying to force  fit ISS planning into the
current planning approach  used for shuttle planning. This approach has the 
potential for significantly increasing the operations  costs associated with
ISS planning. As such, an  innovative approach to ISS planning has been  
developed which decomposes ISS planning into two  basic planning functions: 1)
long-range planning, and  2) short-range planning. The long-range planning 
function focuses on a fixed planning horizon, which  continually moves forward
as ISS operations progress  and emphasizes the preparation for operations. The 
short-range planning function takes a small segment of  the long-range plan
and develops the detailed schedule  required to implement operations onboard
the ISS. The  term defined to describe this approach is "Continuous 
Operations Planning". This paper provides: definitions  of increment and
continuous operations planning, a  comparison of the continuous operations
approach  with that of the increment based approach, a brief  description of
the long and short range planning  functions, and a summary of the benefits
and  challenges associated with implementing the  continuous operations
planning approach.