Increasing Spaceflight Analogue Mission Fidelity by Standardization of Extravehicular Activity Metrics Tracking and Analysis
Spaceflight analogues include human simulations that attempt to match as many variables of a real mission as possible, but here on Earth and at a fraction of the cost each having limitations. The goal of this Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology...
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| Format: | Text |
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Scholarly Commons
2018
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| Online Access: | https://commons.erau.edu/publication/1433 https://commons.erau.edu/context/publication/article/2545/viewcontent/Increasing_Spaceflight.pdf |
| Summary: | Spaceflight analogues include human simulations that attempt to match as many variables of a real mission as possible, but here on Earth and at a fraction of the cost each having limitations. The goal of this Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab) research is to improve simulation fidelity through Extravehicular Activity (EVA) data collection, analysis, and feedback, which will help humanity prepare for destinations such as the Moon or Mars. Investigated EVA metrics, physical and biomedical, are based on the identified NASA Human Research Roadmap research gaps related to the risk of injury and compromised performance due to EVA operations. Previous data acquired on 88 EVAs at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station in 2007, as well as historical Apollo data on EVAs, act as a baseline for data collection. Metrics tracked, collected, and analyzed from the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS Crew 188, 2018) will aid in creating protocol recommendations for EVA simulations. Additional work was investigated with mission simulation analogues including the 2017 Hawai’i Space Exploration and Analog Simulation (HI-SEAS) and the AMADEE-18 (2018, Oman) missions. The investigation of human performance data with respect to energy expenditure will help identify physical limitations, thus providing explorers with a schedule that maximizes their potential on EVA. It is envisioned that the results of these studies will help prescribe systematic field operations and data collection standards that will prepare humankind for surface planetary expeditions. It is the intent of the ERAU S.U.I.T. Lab to act as a bridge between international efforts and as a repository of simulated mission EVA data for analysis and enhancement of human exploration. |
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