Adjustable control autonomy for manned space flight

Autonomous control systems will play a larger and larger role in manned space flight. These autonomous control systems will make the crew more independent of ground support, thus reducing operation costs. However, for autonomous control systems to be effective, they must allow for insight by crew members and they must also allow crew members to work jointly with and even intervene in autonomous activities. We call this adjustable autonomy. In this paper we present the basic principles of adjustable autonomy and describe three NASA projects in which adjustable autonomy was explored. Conclusions are drawn from these projects.