Human-machine system design optimization for nondeterministic spacecraft anomaly determination/resolution

This study addressed the issues of uncertainty inherent in satellite control and in optimizing the roles of the human in the combined human/machine system unit. Three different "Types" of tasks were defined. Each "Type" category was represented of the level of knowledge required to perform the task most effectively (low/moderate/high). Each task consists of resolving a unique satellite vehicle anomaly within pre-scripted scenarios. The role of human knowledge was examined and found to be significantly important. This result was more evident as the situation uncertainty or complexity of the task increased.