XSearch: A unified search and cross-reference detection engine for the ISS Mission Control Center

At the International Space Station (ISS) Mission Control Center, flight controllers and mission support staff utilize a large number of web-based applications to perform mission operations and crew support tasks. Although access to these applications is through a common web portal, they are separate systems, developed independently and in isolation from one another. To integrate information across these stove-piped systems, we developed XSearch, a system designed to provide a unified search and browse interface for performing full-text, cross-application searches. In addition to locating search results, XSearch performs both citation mining and similarity detection to find ancillary records related to the primary results. These related records provide useful context for understanding and interpreting the search results. XSearch has been in daily use within the Mission Control Center since July 2008. This paper describes the system design goals and functionality, sketches the evolution of its architecture, and discusses lessons learned in developing and deploying a complex search and integration application in a dynamic mission-support environment.