The mental model of a spacecraft changes from a remote instrument, or "transactional" model (left), to an in-situ repository of significant data that can be interacted with (right), being constantly updated with in-situ observations.
Image credit: Keck Institute for Space Studies / Chuck Carter.
Front cover illustration of the final report "Nebulae: Deep-Space Computing Clouds" supported by the Keck Institute for Space Studies.
Image credit: Keck Institute for Space Studies / Chuck Carter.