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NASA NTRS2016

NASA Advanced Explorations Systems: Advancements in Life Support Systems

The NASA Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Life Support Systems (LSS) project strives to develop reliable, energy-efficient, and low-mass spacecraft systems to provide environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) critical to enabling long duration human missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Highly reliable, closed-loop life support systems are among the capabilities required for the longer duration human space exploration missions assessed by NASA's Habitability Architecture Team (HAT). The LSS project is focused on four areas: architecture and systems engineering for life support systems, environmental monitoring, air revitalization, and wastewater processing and water management. Starting with the international space station (ISS) LSS systems as a point of departure (where applicable), the mission of the LSS project is three-fold: 1. Address discrete LSS technology gaps 2. Improve the reliability of LSS systems 3. Advance LSS systems towards integrated testing on the ISS. This paper summarized the work being done in the four areas listed above to meet these objectives. Details will be given on the following focus areas: Systems Engineering and Architecture- With so many complex systems comprising life support in space, it is important to understand the overall system requirements to define life support system architectures for different space mission classes, ensure that all the components integrate well together and verify that testing is as representative of destination environments as possible. Environmental Monitoring- In an enclosed spacecraft that is constantly operating complex machinery for its own basic functionality as well as science experiments and technology demonstrations, it's possible for the environment to become compromised. While current environmental monitors aboard the ISS will alert crew members and mission control if there is an emergency, long-duration environmental monitoring cannot be done in-orbit as current methodologies rely largely on sending environmental samples back to Earth. The LSS project is developing onboard analysis capabilities that will replace the need to return air and water samples from space for ground analysis. Air Revitalization- The air revitalization task is comprised of work in carbon dioxide removal, oxygen generation and recovery and trace contamination and particulate control. The CO2 Removal and associated air drying development efforts under the LSS project are focused both on improving the current SOA technology on the ISS and assessing and examining the viability of other sorbents and technologies available in academia and industry. The Oxygen Generation and Recovery technology development area encompasses several sub-tasks in an effort to supply O2 to the crew at the required conditions, to recover O2 from metabolic CO2, and to recycle recovered O2 back to the cabin environment. Current state-of-the-art oxygen generation systems aboard space station are capable of generating or recovering approximately 40% of required oxygen; for exploration missions this percentage needs to be greatly increased. A spacecraft cabin trace contaminant and particulate control system serves to keep the environment below the spacecraft maximum allowable concentration (SMAC) for chemicals and particulates. Both passive (filters) and active (scrubbers) methods contribute to the overall TC & PC design. Work in the area of trace contamination and particulate control under the LSS project is focused on making improvements to the SOA TC & PC systems on ISS to improve performance and reduce consumables. Wastewater Processing and Water Management- A major goal of the LSS project is the development of water recovery systems to support long duration human exploration beyond LEO. Current space station wastewater processing and water management systems distill urine and wastewater to recover water from urine and humidity condensate in the spacecraft at a approximately 74% recovery rate. For longer, farther missions into deep space, that recovery rate must be greatly increased so that astronauts can journey for months without resupply cargo ships from Earth.

Shull, Sarah A.↗

NASA NTRS2003

A new method to evaluate human-robot system performance

One of the key issues in space exploration is that of deciding what space tasks are best done with humans, with robots, or a suitable combination of each. In general, human and robot skills are complementary. Humans provide as yet unmatched capabilities to perceive, think, and act when faced with anomalies and unforeseen events, but there can be huge potential risks to human safety in getting these benefits. Robots provide complementary skills in being able to work in extremely risky environments, but their ability to perceive, think, and act by themselves is currently not error-free, although these capabilities are continually improving with the emergence of new technologies. Substantial past experience validates these generally qualitative notions. However, there is a need for more rigorously systematic evaluation of human and robot roles, in order to optimize the design and performance of human-robot system architectures using well-defined performance evaluation metrics. This article summarizes a new analytical method to conduct such quantitative evaluations. While the article focuses on evaluating human-robot systems, the method is generally applicable to a much broader class of systems whose performance needs to be evaluated.

Space Flight/instrumentation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Human Landing System Storable Propellant Architecture: Mission Design, Guidance, Navigation, and Control

In preparation of the NextSTEP-2 Appendix H awards, NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) Program (HLSP) went through an abbreviated Design Analysis Cycle (DAC), or miniDAC, to characterize and quantify how a storable propellant design would affect and improve overall system performance of the Government reference design. As part of that miniDAC, HLSP ran multiple trade studies and assessments, including aspects of Mission Design, Flight Mechanics (FM), and Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C). The storable propellant designs were assessed through the baseline mission targeting the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) and several alternate staging orbits. This paper focuses on the FM and GN&C trades and assessments completed as part of the miniDAC as well as the GN\&C elements of the miniDAC Master Equipment List (MEL) developed for the storable propellant lander configurations.

Landers↗

NASA NTRS1977

The rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and crab-eating (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys in cardiovascular and aerospace research

Two nonhuman primate species were used to investigate the effects of gravitoinertial forces on pilot incapacitation and performance impairment, to define human physiologic tolerance and safe exposure limits to these environments, and to obtain data which can be used to evolve new methods to improve man's G tolerance to match the structural capability of new generation aircraft. The macaca fascicularis was used to study the effects of environmental stress and atheroscelerosis on cerebral blood flow and function agents on myocardial and cardiovascular function were studied in the macaca mulatta.

Erickson, H. H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Robot dynamics in reduced gravity environment

Robot dynamics and control will become an important issue for productive platforms in space. Robotic operations will be necessary for both man tended stations and for the efficient performance of routine operations in a manned platform. The current constraints on the use of robotic devices in a microgravity environment appears to be due to safety concerns and an anticipated increase in acceleration levels due to manipulator motion. The robot used for the initial studies was a UMI RTX robot, which was adapted to operate in a materials processing workcell to simulate sample changing in a microgravity environment. The robotic cell was flown several times on the KC-135 aircraft at Ellington Field. The primary objective of the initial flights was to determine operating characteristics of both the robot and the operator in the variable gravity of the KC-135 during parabolic maneuvers. It was demonstrated that the KC-135 aircraft can be used for observing dynamics of robotic manipulators. The difficulties associated with humans performing teleoperation tasks during varying G levels were also observed and can provide insight into some areas in which the use of artificial techniques would provide improved system performance. Additionally a graphic simulation of the workcell was developed on a Silicon Graphics Workstation using the IGRIP simulation language from Deneb Robotics. The simulation is intended to be used for predictive displays of the robot operating on the aircraft. It is also anticipated that this simulation can be useful for off-line programming of tasks in the future.

Workman, Gary L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Human-in-the-loop evaluation of RMS Active Damping Augmentation

Active Damping Augmentation is the insertion of Controls-Structures Integration Technology to benefit the on-orbit performance of the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System. The goal is to reduce the vibration decay time of the Remote Manipulator System following normal payload maneuvers and operations. Simulation of Active Damping Augmentation was conducted in the realtime human-in-the-loop Systems Engineering Simulator at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The objective of this study was to obtain a qualitative measure of operational performance improvement from astronaut operators and to obtain supporting quantitative performance data. Sensing of vibratory motions was simulated using a three-axis accelerometer mounted at the end of the lower boom of the Remote Manipulator System. The sensed motions were used in a feedback control law to generate commands to the joint servo mechanisms which reduced the unwanted oscillations. Active damping of the Remote Manipulator System with an attached 3990 lb. payload was successfully demonstrated. Six astronaut operators examined the performance of an Active Damping Augmentation control law following single-joint and coordinated six-joint translational and rotational maneuvers. Active Damping Augmentation disturbance rejection of Orbiter thruster firings was also evaluated. Significant reductions in the dynamic response of the 3990 lb. payload were observed. Astronaut operators recommended investigation of Active Damping Augmentation benefits to heavier payloads where oscillations are a bigger problem (e.g. Space Station Freedom assembly operators).

Demeo, Martha E.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Estimation of the Dose and Dose Rate Effectiveness Factor

Current models to estimate radiation risk use the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort that received high doses and high dose rates of radiation. Transferring risks from these high dose rates to the low doses and dose rates received by astronauts in space is a source of uncertainty in our risk calculations. The solid cancer models recommended by BEIR VII [1], UNSCEAR [2], and Preston et al [3] is fitted adequately by a linear dose response model, which implies that low doses and dose rates would be estimated the same as high doses and dose rates. However animal and cell experiments imply there should be curvature in the dose response curve for tumor induction. Furthermore animal experiments that directly compare acute to chronic exposures show lower increases in tumor induction than acute exposures. A dose and dose rate effectiveness factor (DDREF) has been estimated and applied to transfer risks from the high doses and dose rates of the LSS cohort to low doses and dose rates such as from missions in space. The BEIR VII committee [1] combined DDREF estimates using the LSS cohort and animal experiments using Bayesian methods for their recommendation for a DDREF value of 1.5 with uncertainty. We reexamined the animal data considered by BEIR VII and included more animal data and human chromosome aberration data to improve the estimate for DDREF. Several experiments chosen by BEIR VII were deemed inappropriate for application to human risk models of solid cancer risk. Animal tumor experiments performed by Ullrich et al [4], Alpen et al [5], and Grahn et al [6] were analyzed to estimate the DDREF. Human chromosome aberration experiments performed on a sample of astronauts within NASA were also available to estimate the DDREF. The LSS cohort results reported by BEIR VII were combined with the new radiobiology results using Bayesian methods.

Chappell, L.↗

NASA NTRS2007

The Naturalistic Flight Deck System: An Integrated System Concept for Improved Single-Pilot Operations

This paper reviews current and emerging operational experiences, technologies, and human-machine interaction theories to develop an integrated flight system concept designed to increase the safety, reliability, and performance of single-pilot operations in an increasingly accommodating but stringent national airspace system. This concept, know as the Naturalistic Flight Deck (NFD), uses a form of human-centered automation known as complementary-automation (or complemation) to structure the relationship between the human operator and the aircraft as independent, collaborative agents having complimentary capabilities. The human provides commonsense knowledge, general intelligence, and creative thinking, while the machine contributes specialized intelligence and control, extreme vigilance, resistance to fatigue, and encyclopedic memory. To support the development of the NFD, an initial Concept of Operations has been created and selected normal and non-normal scenarios are presented in this document.

Schutte, Paul C.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recent Improvements and Verification of A Full Body Model in Opensim

BACKGROUND: The dynamic feasibility [1,2] criterion, that the subject’s Center of Pressure (COP) be located within the Base of Support (BOS) which outlines the feet, has aided in assessing the stability of human motion recorded on earth while performing the recorded tasks in lunar gravity or as countermeasures exercises on a vibration isolation and stabilization system in microgravity. The convex hull of the BOS on the platform under the subject’s feet was estimated using virtual markers on the feet of the scaled subject model. The COP was calculated using the ground reaction forces and moments determined from motion capture data with biomechanical modeling tools [3]. Occasionally, large-amplitude oscillatory spikes or “artifacts” were observed in the subject’s linear and angular momentum derivatives, affecting some COP data derived from motion capture. The purpose of this investigation was to assess and improve the accuracy of model scaling and BOS estimation as well as to determine the efficacy of model adjustments in mitigating artifacts influencing motion capture-derived ground reaction force and COP results. METHODS: To aid evaluation of proposed process and model updates, motion capture data were collected for two subjects during unit test and range of motion trials, lunar tasks, and countermeasures exercise motions. Markers were added to the full body Plug-in Gait marker set [4] during data collection. New markers were placed on the front, back, sides, and top of the head to improve scaling using distances between marker pairs. Medial elbow markers were added to stabilize the upper arm during OpenSim Inverse Kinematics (IK) [5]. Finally, markers were added on the outer edge of the heels and on the outside edges of the first and last toes on each foot. These additional foot markers were made available to test new automated foot scaling techniques and to calculate the error between the subject’s estimated and recorded BOS. The modified unscaled OpenSim Full Body Rajagopal Model [6,7] was adjusted using some previously investigated techniques [8] to mitigate rapid shifts in joint angles occurring during IK, as these were found to cause the spike artifacts observed in subsequent stages of analysis. Since OpenSim models use Euler angles and rotation sequences, the arm axes of rotation were adjusted, and the pelvis order of rotation was changed to minimize the likelihood of encountering “gimbal lock” during common human motion. The model clavicle, arm, elbow, wrist, pelvis, and ankle angle limits were adjusted to better accommodate the full human range of motion seen in exercise and lunar data. The shoulder joint center was calculated using a “pivoting” algorithm [9], and both shoulder joint center and upper arm markers were included during IK to provide additional shoulder stability on a case-by-case basis. The quality of IK results was assessed by three criteria: minimizing error between recorded motion capture markers and model markers, checking for reasonable rates of change in joint angles between fames (i.e., no IK artifacts), and ensuring the absence of spikes in the inertial forces and angular momentum derivatives calculated using a custom OpenSim plugin [10]. RESULTS: The additional markers placed on the subject during data collection allowed the head and feet to be scaled more accurately using distances between new marker pairs. Scaling with BOS markers placed on the subject and removing the limit on subtalar angle resulted in more accurate BOS determination. Unrealistically large changes in joint angles between frames could be reduced by including clavicle, sternum, and medial elbow markers during IK. In cases with large arm ranges of motion, results could be further improved by running IK using medial elbow and virtual shoulder joint center markers. Model adjustments significantly improved the IK results affecting COP calculation and increased the accuracy of BOS estimation.

C A Bell↗

NASA NTRS1994

An overview of Space Shuttle anthropometry and biomechanics research with emphasis on STS/Mir recumbent seat system design

The Anthropometry and Biomechanics Laboratory (ABL) at JSC conducts multi-disciplinary research focusing on maximizing astronaut intravehicular (IVA) and extravehicular (EVA) capabilities to provide the most effective work conditions for manned space flight and exploration missions. Biomechanics involves the measurement and modeling of the strength characteristics of the human body. Current research for the Space Shuttle Program includes the measurement of torque wrench capability during weightlessness, optimization of foot restraint, and hand hold placement, measurements of the strength and dexterity of the pressure gloved hand to improve glove design, quantification of the ability to move and manipulate heavy masses (6672 N or 1500 lb) in weightlessness, and verification of the capability of EVA crewmembers to perform Hubble Space Telescope repair tasks. Anthropometry is the measurement and modeling of the dimensions of the human body. Current research for the Space Shuttle Program includes the measurement of 14 anthropometric parameters of every astronaut candidate, identification of EVA finger entrapment hazards by measuring the dimensions of the gloved hand, definition of flight deck reach envelopes during launch and landing accelerations, and measurement of anthropometric design parameters for the recumbent seat system required for the Shuttle/Mir mission (STS-71, Spacelab M) scheduled for Jun. 1995.

Klute, Glenn K.↗

NASA NTRS2012

An Initial Comparison of Selected Earth Departure Options for Solar Electric Propulsion Missions

Earth departure options such as the location for deployment, aggregation, and crew rendezvous as well as the type of propulsion leveraged for each mission phase effect overall mission performance metrics such as number of critical maneuvers, mass of propellant to achieve departure, and initial mass required in low Earth orbit. This paper identifies and compares a subset of tactical options for deployment, crew rendezvous, and Earth departure that leverage electric propulsion and hybrid chemical electric propulsion with a goal of improving system efficiency. Departure maneuver specific limitations and penalties are then identified for missions to specific targets for human interplanetary missions providing a better understanding of the impact of decisions related to aggregation and rendezvous locations as well as Earth departure maneuvers on overall system performance.

Merrill, Raymond Gabriel↗

NASA NTRS1993

Techniques for designing rotorcraft control systems

This report summarizes the work that was done on the project from 1 Apr. 1992 to 31 Mar. 1993. The main goal of this research is to develop a practical tool for rotorcraft control system design based on interactive optimization tools (CONSOL-OPTCAD) and classical rotorcraft design considerations (ADOCS). This approach enables the designer to combine engineering intuition and experience with parametric optimization. The combination should make it possible to produce a better design faster than would be possible using either pure optimization or pure intuition and experience. We emphasize that the goal of this project is not to develop an algorithm. It is to develop a tool. We want to keep the human designer in the design process to take advantage of his or her experience and creativity. The role of the computer is to perform the calculation necessary to improve and to display the performance of the nominal design. Briefly, during the first year we have connected CONSOL-OPTCAD, an existing software package for optimizing parameters with respect to multiple performance criteria, to a simplified nonlinear simulation of the UH-60 rotorcraft. We have also created mathematical approximations to the Mil-specs for rotorcraft handling qualities and input them into CONSOL-OPTCAD. Finally, we have developed the additional software necessary to use CONSOL-OPTCAD for the design of rotorcraft controllers.

Levine, William S.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Apollo Medical Operations Project: Recommendations for EVA and Lunar Surface Operations

The potential risk of injury to crewmembers is inherent in aggressive surface activities, whether they be Moon-, Mars-, or asteroid-based. In December 2005, the Space Medicine Division at JSC requested a study to identify Apollo mission issues that had an impact to crew health or performance or both. This talk focused on the Apollo EVA suit and lunar surface operations concerning crew health and performance. There were roughly 20 recommendations from this study of Apollo for improving these two areas for future exploration missions, a few of which were incorporated into the Human Systems Integration Requirements (HSIR). Dr. Richard Scheuring covered these topics along with some of the analog work that has been done regarding surface operations and medical contingencies.

Scheuring, R. A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Presentation material for Progress in Simulated Water Well Performance on Mars

This presentation reports on the results of some experimental work regarding the establishment and operation of water wells on Mars. These results were accomplished since this group reported on this concept at the AIAA Space conference in 2018. These experiments were conducted to improve the understanding of a Rodwell’s performance under Mars surface conditions. The motivation to improve this understanding results from the leverage that access to large quantities of water, already on Mars, gives to future human missions to that planet. Previous work by this group has described the likely location of these water deposits and the extensive history of terrestrial use of the Rodwell technique. The results reported in this presentation indicate several key points. First, it has been demonstrated that a stable pool of water can be maintained under Martian surface environmental conditions using an approach comparable to terrestrial Rodwells. Next, it was unexpectedly learned that the water pool exhibits some of the same structural characteristics – specifically an ice shelf just above the water pool – that are seen in terrestrial Rodwells. This finding directly affected the way in which test data was reduced. And finally the experimental data was used to generate equations for convection-driven evaporation and convective heat transfer. The evaporation results were found to follow the same trends as published results for experiments in terrestrial environments. But the results reported here have also extended the range of these trends into much smaller Rayleigh Number ranges than anything previously reported. It was also found that convective heat transfer does not following published results even in the same Rayleigh Number range. A suggested explanation for this result has been proposed based on phenomenon described in the literature, but this group continues to look at the results to see if a better explanation can be found.

Mars↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

FAIR-ness Assessment of NASA’s Earth Observation System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

This presentation addresses the challenge of evaluating a multi-disciplinary institutional network of data repositories in operation since 1994 against the relatively recent criteria that constitute FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data. NASA’s Earth Observation System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), with its 12 discipline-based Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), preceded the definition and popularization of FAIR by over two decades. An assessment is very useful to describe how well the FAIR principles are met and to identify any improvements needed. In 2020, A “self-assessment” of EOSDIS and DAACs was performed by the ESDIS Project staff and the DAACs from the points of view of human actionability and machine actionability. More recently, a draft of a Science Mission Directorate (SMP) Program Directive (SPD-41a) has been released by NASA Headquarters for comment, where it is recommended that all SMD-funded data should follow the FAIR principles. This presentation is timely to initiate community discussion within the Information Quality Cluster (IQC) of the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) and help strategize and develop implementation guidelines for EOSDIS and DAACs to conform to FAIR principles.

Remote sensing↗

NASA NTRS2015

Human Factors and Habitability Challenges for Mars Missions

As NASA is planning to send humans deeper into space than ever before, adequate crew health and performance will be critical for mission success. Within the NASA Human Research Program (HRP), the Space Human Factors and Habitability (SHFH) team is responsible for characterizing the risks associated with human capabilities and limitations with respect to long-duration spaceflight, and for providing mitigations (e.g., guidelines, technologies, and tools) to promote safe, reliable and productive missions. SHFH research includes three domains: Advanced Environmental Health (AEH), Advanced Food Technology (AFT), and Space Human Factors Engineering (SHFE). The AEH portfolio focuses on understanding the risk of microbial contamination of the spacecraft and on the development of standards for exposure to potential toxins such as chemicals, bacteria, fungus, and lunar/Martian dust. The two risks that the environmental health project focuses on are adverse health effects due to changes in host-microbe interactions, and risks associated with exposure to dust in planetary surface habitats. This portfolio also proposes countermeasures to these risks by making recommendations that relate to requirements for environmental quality, foods, and crew health on spacecraft and space missions. The AFT portfolio focuses on reducing the mass, volume, and waste of the entire integrated food system to be used in exploration missions, and investigating processing methods to extend the shelf life of food items up to five years, while assuring that exploration crews will have nutritious and palatable foods. The portfolio also delivers improvements in both the food itself and the technologies for storing and preparing it. SHFE sponsors research to establish human factors and habitability standards and guidelines in five risk areas, and provides improved design concepts for advanced crew interfaces and habitability systems. These risk areas include: Incompatible vehicle/habitat design, inadequate human-computer interaction, inadequate critical task design, inadequate human-automation/robotic interaction, and performance errors due to training deficiencies. To address the identified research gaps within each risk, SHFH's research plan includes studies in the laboratory, in analogs, and on International Space Station (ISS). In addition to establishing and maintaining the risk-based research portfolio, SHFH is also implementing a qualitative approach to determine how we at NASA evaluate human performance. Via interviews with experts, such as trainers, flight controllers, and flight surgeons, we are collecting the metrics by which they assess human performance, evidence of performance issues, and potential or actual consequences. The Human Performance Data Project will determine what human performance data have been collected in the past at NASA, and what data should be collected in the future in order to complete our knowledgebase and reduce risks related to human factors and habitability.

Whitmore, Mihriban↗

NASA NTRS1996

Scene-Linked Symbology to Improve Situation Awareness

This paper reviews recent research conducted in the Flight Management and Human Factors Division of NASA Ames Research Center on superimposed symbology (as found on HUDs and HMDs). We first identify various performance problems which suggest that superimposed symbology impairs pilots' ability to maintain simultaneous awareness of instrument information and information in the forward visual scene. Results of experiments supporting an attentional account of the impairment are reported. A design solution involving the concept of 'scene-linked' symbology is developed, and experiments testing the design solution are reported. An application of the scene-linking concept, in the form of a candidate HUD to support ground taxi operations for civil transport, is described.

McCann, Robert S.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Improved Quick Disconnect (QD) Interface Through Fail Safe Parts Identification

An extensive review of existing Quick Disconnects (QDs) mating and demating operations was performed to determine which shuttle part interface identifications and procedures contribute to human factor errors. The research methods used consisted of interviews with engineers and technicians, examination of incident reports, critiques of video and audio tapes of QD operations, and attendance of a Hyper QD operational course. The data strongly suggests that there are inherit human factor errors involved in QD operations. To promote fail-safe operations, QD interface problem areas and recommendations were outlined and reviewed. It is suggested that dialogue, investigations and recommendations continue.

Blanch-Payne, Evelyn↗