MarsIPAN: Optimization and Negotiations in Mars Sample Return Scheduling Coordination

Resource allocation problems touch almost every aspect of modernity. We examine communication bandwidth optimization and negotiation in NASA’s early stage Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, which places multiple robots into a single region on Mars. We present a design study conducted over two years at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory with MSR, which characterizes the design and evaluation of the deployed MarsIPAN schedule browser. We find that MarsIPAN changes the schedule analysis process, providing new insight into how bandwidth is allocated and enabling individual spacecraft teams to openly negotiate for scarce resources. This visibility leads to changes in how spacecraft teams apportion bandwidth, plan staffing, and organize and share resources. We reflect on the design study methodology as revealing, documenting, and supporting existing communication processes and software infrastructure within knowledge-intensive organizations.