Scientific field training for human planetary exploration

alumnus) NICK MURPHY, Carnegie Mellon University (alumnus) SHILPA SARODE, Carnegie Mellon University (alumnus) LOUI VONGPRACHANG, Carnegie Mellon University (alumnus)NASA plans to send humans to Mars as early as the 2030s. Such a complex and expensive undertaking is justified by the fact that only humans have the unique set of abilities inherent to scientific exploration. A team of four graduate students from Carnegie Mellon's Master of Human-Computer Interaction program took a user-centered design approach to identify breakdowns in current processes used in the practice and execution of extraplanetary exploration. Through a combination of secondary research, co-design, body storming, and ethnographic research including interviews and field studies, they found that current operational procedures constrain the human abilities of physical agility, adaptability, and perceptiveness. This effectively ignored the advantage of human agency over robotics. They used this insight to prototype a solution designed to streamline mission operations. This prototype was then tested against the goal of allowing team members to focus on leveraging their unique human abilities to deliver higher scientific return.

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“…These analog missions practice for missions in space while also collecting valid scientific data here on Earth. (Lim, 2010). Examples include:…”

Section: Analog Missionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More Than A Robot: Designing for the Unique Advantages of Sending Humans to Mars

Pritchard

Murphy

Sarode

et al. 2019

Ethnographic Praxis

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“…Similar limitations occur during analog missions on Earth, with the physical limitations largely dependent on the type and maturity of the space suit simulator used. It is suggested that productivity maximization is dependent on how physical and environmental limitations during an EVA can be overcome and how astronaut premission training can be improved (Lim et al, 2010;Rask et al, 2011). Productivity maximization is also dependent on how efficient flight planning and crew autonomy are executed.…”

Section: Space Suit Mobility As a Factor Of Mission Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Suited versus Unsuited Analog Astronaut Performance Using the Aouda.X Space Suit Simulator: The DELTA Experiment of MARS2013

2015

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Space suit simulators are used for extravehicular activities (EVAs) during Mars analog missions. Flight planning and EVA productivity require accurate time estimates of activities to be performed with such simulators, such as experiment execution or traverse walking. We present a benchmarking methodology for the Aouda.X space suit simulator of the Austrian Space Forum. By measuring and comparing the times needed to perform a set of 10 test activities with and without Aouda.X, an average time delay was derived in the form of a multiplicative factor. This statistical value (a second-over-second time ratio) is 1.30 and shows that operations in Aouda.X take on average a third longer than the same operations without the suit. We also show that activities predominantly requiring fine motor skills are associated with larger time delays (between 1.17 and 1.59) than those requiring short-distance locomotion or short-term muscle strain (between 1.10 and 1.16). The results of the DELTA experiment performed during the MARS2013 field mission increase analog mission planning reliability and thus EVA efficiency and productivity when using Aouda.X.

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“…In particular, given the science focus and operational environment of the PLRP fi eld season, the opportunity was ripe to embed astronauts as science pilots and immerse them in training for the skills necessary to be a productive fi eld scientist. Lim et al (2010) described a set of learning design principles focused on optimizing astronaut learning in fi eld science settings. It is these principles that were the backbone of the training curriculum that was designed for the 2009 Astronaut Field Science Program (AFSP) at Pavilion Lake.…”

Section: Astronaut Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A historical overview of the Pavilion Lake Research Project—Analog science and exploration in an underwater environment

Lim

Brady

Abercromby³

et al. 2011

Analogs for Planetary Exploration

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Lim et al. spe 483-01 page 86 bodies where scientifi c investigation is a key driver of exploration. In order to explore and collect samples underwater at Pavilion Lake, humans must, as they do in space, coordinate with unmanned robotic systems and contend with limitations associated with communications, visualization, and sampling of their environments, and their life support systems (LSS) (Lim et al., 2010). These working constraints are not simulated, but are real and inextricable from the PLRP's activities. As such, Pavilion Lake has become an important analog research environment in which to garner operational information applicable to the design of human planetary exploration strategies. The goal of this paper is to present a historical synopsis of analog science and exploration activities at Pavilion Lake with the specifi c aim of highlighting the unique contributions of the PLRP to the development of human planetary exploration strategies. To ensure that the complexity and richness of the project are properly captured in this paper, two appendices are included that document some of the PLRP's additional initiatives and activities (e.g., education and public outreach).

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Scientific field training for human planetary exploration

Cited by 16 publications

References 10 publications

More Than A Robot: Designing for the Unique Advantages of Sending Humans to Mars

More Than A Robot: Designing for the Unique Advantages of Sending Humans to Mars

Suited versus Unsuited Analog Astronaut Performance Using the Aouda.X Space Suit Simulator: The DELTA Experiment of MARS2013

A historical overview of the Pavilion Lake Research Project—Analog science and exploration in an underwater environment

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