Required Area for a Crew Person in a Space Vehicle
This 176 page report was written in circa 1966 to examine the effects of confmement during space flight. One of the topics covered was the required size of a space vehicle for extended missions. Analysis was done using size of crew and length of time in a confmed space. The report was based on all information available at that time. The data collected and analyzed included both NASA and (when possible) Russian missions flown to date, analogs (such as submarines), and ground studies. Both psychological and physiological responses to confmement were examined. Factors evaluated in estimating the degree of impairment included the level of performance of intellectual, perceptual, manual and co-ordinated tasks, response to psychological testing, subjective comments of the participants, nature and extent of physiological change, and the nature and extent of behavioral change and the nature and extent of somatic complaints. Information was not included from studies where elements of perceptual isolation were more than mildly incidental - water immersion studies, studies in darkened and acoustically insulated rooms, studies with distorted environmental inputs - unpattemed light and white noise. Using the graph from the document, the upper line provides a threshold of minimum acceptable volumeall points above the line may be considered acceptable. The lower line provides a threshold of unacceptable volume - all points below the line are unacceptable. The area in between the two lines is the area of doubtful acceptability where impairment tends to increase with reduction in volume and increased duration of exposure. Reference is made of the Gemini VII, 14-day duration mission which had detectable impairment with a combination of 40 cubic feet per man for 14 days. In line with all other data this point should be in the 'marked impairment' zone. It is assumed that the state of fitness, dedication and experience influenced this outcome.