(May 16, 2011)

On May 16, 2011, Astrobiology Magazine posted an article on www.astribio.net about long term planning and operations research studies for the Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) at Pavilion Lake in British Columbia, Canada. Michael McCurdy of the Human Systems Integration Division leads the development of Score, The PLRP planning tool that details the timeline for mini-submersible underwater “flights” in the lake plus critically related pre-flight and post-flight activities. The PLRP tool Is one of several adaptations of the Scheduling and Planning Interface for Exploration (SPIFe) toolkit, which is being modified in partnership with mission planners at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) for deployment on the International Space Station (ISS). These PLRP activities are being conducted by the Human Systems Integration Division, the Intelligent Systems Division, and a group of JSC mission planners familiar with Space Shuttle and ISS procedures.