Integrating Software Technologies in RAXEM2 - AI Meets Information Technology

Abstract

This paper describes aspects of RAXEM2, an intelligent software system developed to support human mission planners in the daily task to plan uplink commands for the MARS EXPRESS mission at the European Space Agency. A first system called RAXEM has been in operational use at the ESA-ESOC mission control center since Summer 2007. During 2008 authors have been working to a new version of the tool to both incorporate new functionalities and capture the entire life-cycle of the plan uplink problem. RAXEM2 has been released for daily use on March 2009 replacing previous work practice. The new tool combines a flexible AI-based automated algorithm, a user-friendly interaction front-end, and several functionalities for information management, overall guaranteeing continuity of work practice. The paper touches upon various aspects of the new system and comments on how a key factor for success has been the integration of such different modules in a unique comprehensive support environment.