Prototyping an Onboard Scheduler for the Mars 2020 Rover

Efficiently operating a rover on the surface of Mars is challenging.
Two factors combine to make this job particularly
difficult: 1) communication opportunities are limited, 2) certain
aspects of rover performance are difficult to predict.
With limited communications, the rover must be given instructions
on what to do for one or more Martian days at a
time. In addition, the duration of many rover activities can be
hard to predict, which leads to unpredictable energy use. Traditionally,
conservatism is used to keep the rover safe and
healthy. This approach, however can lead to a measurable
loss in rover productivity. To regain some of this productivity,
the Mars 2020 mission is prototyping the use of onboard
scheduling software. The primary objective of this software
is to identify and utilize opportunities that arise when actual
rover performance is more efficient than the original, conservative
prediction.