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Remote AgentWhat is a remote agent? |
It is difficult to predict what might happen to a spacecraft deep in space. Scientists aren't sure how long mission events take, how well the spacecraft parts will work, or what objects or forces exist in deep space that might interfere with the mission. Remote Agent lowers the chances that these uncertainties will cause the mission to fail. First, the plans Remote Agent generates and follows are flexible. If an activity takes longer or shorter than expected or if the plan is temporarily put on hold due to complications, the spacecraft still may be able to continue with the plan because there aren't exact set times that things must occur. And second, Remote Agent has several ways of fixing itself without help from ground control. There may not be time during a crucial part of the mission to send a signal to Earth, have engineers figure how to solve the problem, and then send the instructions back to the spacecraft. Being able to solve the problems without the communication delay increases the chances that the problem will be solved before it is too late and the mission will be saved.
How does Remote Agent improve space exploration?
How does NASA run space missions?
How long does it take for transmissions to get between DS1 and Earth?
Do small errors in space navigation matter?
