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Analyses of occupational activities of astronauts in laboratory-aircraft flights simulating weightlessness conditions permit the development of training methods and optimization of the interaction of man with various spacecraft designs.
Spaceflight astronaut training, discussing guidance and navigation methodology of Apollo Mission Simulators
Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut is an international educational challenge focusing on fitness and nutrition as we encourage students to "train like an astronaut." Teams of students (aged 8-12) learn principles of healthy eating and exercise, compete for points by finishing training modules, and get excited about their future as "fit explorers." The 18 core exercises (targeting strength, endurance, coordination, balance, spatial awareness, and more) involve the same types of skills that astronauts learn in their training and use in spaceflight. This first-of-its-kind cooperative outreach program has allowed 14 space agencies and various partner institutions to work together to address quality health/fitness education, challenge students to be more physically active, increase awareness of the importance of lifelong health and fitness, teach students how fitness plays a vital role in human performance for exploration, and inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in STEM fields. The project was initiated in 2009 in response to a request by the International Space Life Sciences Working Group. USA, Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Colombia, Spain, and United Kingdom hosted teams for the pilot this past spring, and Japan held a modified version of the challenge. Several more agencies provided input into the preparations. Competing on 131 teams, more than 3700 students from 40 cities worldwide participated in the first round of Mission X. OUTCOMES AND BEST PRACTICES Members of the Mission X core team will highlight the outcomes of this international educational outreach pilot project, show video highlights of the challenge, provide the working group s initial assessment of the project and discuss the future potential of the effort. The team will also discuss ideas and best practices for international partnership in education outreach efforts from various agency perspectives and experiences
At the beginning of the Mercury Program it was realized that the entire preparation of the man for piloting the spacecraft would have to be done by use of simulation techniques. It was also realized that no single all-inclusive flight simulator could provide the astronaut with practice in all phases of the mission in a sufficiently realistic environment. To determine the simulation needs, the Mercury-Atlas flight was broken down into areas of astronaut mission responsibility and into areas of physiological and psychological factors affecting the astronaut. A study was made of existing and proposed devices to determine requirements, suitability, feasibility, and availability of these devices. The simulators and devices finally selected are listed in Figure 1. Omitted from this list are several devices that are not actually simulators, such as mockups and visual devices} disorientation devices such as the one at Pensacola, and airplane 0 g familiarization flights. The listings in Figure 1 are not by order of importance or time availability but rather in groupings of fixed-based and dynamic or moving-based simulators.
The crew of STS-47, Commander Robert L. Gibson, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, Mission Specialists N. Jan Davis, Jay Apt, and Mae C. Jemison, and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri, is seen during various parts of their training, including SAREX training in the Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT), firefighting training. A familiarization flight in the KC-135, a food tasting, photo training in the Crew Compartment Trainer, and bailout training in the Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) are also shown.
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The Space Station Training Facility (SSTF) will be the primary facility for training the Space Station Freedom astronauts and the Space Station Control Center ground support personnel. Conceptually, the SSTF will consist of two parts: a Student Environment and an Author Environment. The Student Environment will contain trainers, instructor stations, computers and other equipment necessary for training. The Author Environment will contain the systems that will be used to manage, develop, integrate, test and verify, operate and maintain the equipment and software in the Student Environment.
The Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut Challenge was developed in 2011 to encourage proper exercise and nutrition at an early age by teaching young people to live and eat like space explorers. The strong correlation between an unhealthy childhood diet and adolescent fitness, and the onset of chronic diseases as an adult is the catalyst for Mission X. Mission X is dedicated to assisting people on a global scale to live healthier lifestyles and learn about human space exploration. The Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut 2015 (MX15) International Challenge hosted almost 40,000 children on 800 teams, 28 countries affiliated with 12 space agencies. The MX15 website included 17 languages. MX15, the fifth annual international fitness challenges sponsored by the NASA Human Research Program worked with the European Space Agency and other space agencies from around the world. In comparison to MX14, MX15 expanded to include four additional new countries, increased the number of students by approximately 68% and the number of teams by 29%. Chile' and South Korea participated in the new fall Astro Charlie Walk Around the Earth Challenge. Pre-challenge training materials were made more readily available from the website. South Korea completed a prospective assessment of the usability of the MX content for improving health and fitness in 212 preschool children and their families. Mission X is fortunate to have the support of the NASA, ESA and JAXA astronaut corps. In MX15, they participated in the opening and closing events as well as while on-board the International Space Station. Italian Astronaut Samantha Cristoretti participated as the MX15 Astronaut Ambassador for health and fitness providing the opening video and other videos from ISS. United Kingdom Astronaut Tim Peake and US Astronaut Kate Rubins have agreed to be the MX Ambassadors for 2016 and 2017 respectively. The MX15 International Working Group Face-to-Face meeting and Closing Event were held at the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) in Rome, Italy. A record number of twenty-eight countries participated. Austria and Norway have offered to host the 2016 and 2017 working group meetings. MX16 planning began with the working group meetings and areas of improvement will include another second early challenge to accommodate countries in the Southern Hemisphere, recommended changes to the MX website, development of a more defined approach to metrics, a change to the format of future MX International Working Group meetings, and proposed new activities to be developed by the MX International Educator Working Group. We look forward to welcoming many new participants in 2016!
Zero-g simulation by parabolic aircraft flight for astronaut training
After being selected to the astronaut office, crewmembers go through an initial two year training flow, astronaut candidacy, where they learn the basic skills necessary for spaceflight. While the bulk of astronaut candidate training currently centers on the multiple subjects required for ISS operations (EVA skills, Russian language, ISS systems, etc.), training also includes geoscience training designed to train crewmembers in Earth observations, teach astronauts about other planetary systems, and provide field training designed to investigate field operations and boost team skills. This training goes back to Apollo training and has evolved to support ISS operations and future exploration missions.
First half of Gemini program noting design, prelaunch operations, astronaut training, EVA, ETC
This is a presentation to the International Training Control Board that oversees astronaut training for ISS. The presentation explains the structure of HRP, the training-related work happening under the different program elements, and discusses in detail the research plan for the Training Risk under SHFHSHFE. The group includes the crew training leads for all the space agencies involved in ISS: Japan, Europe, Russia, Canada, and the US.
The Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is a variable stability, variable control law flying simulator used by NASA/JSC to train astronauts in the final landing phase of a Space Shuttle Orbiter. A general outline is given for the STA flight simulation system. An overview is given of the software generation and verification process through the Advanced Validation System (AVAS). The flight test techniques for software verification will be reviewed and the process for releasing the software for flight training will be covered. The astronaut STA training syllabus is examined. Parameter matching with the Orbiter in the final approach phase of de-orbit and landing is briefly examined. Simulation performance will be assessed against flight data, performance measurement, and cue synchronization.
Space program - high thrust boosters with greater payload capabilities, superior guidance and control, and astronaut training
Overview on scientific support requirements for extended lunar exploration missions including experiments, data management, equipment, astronaut training, and lunar systems planning
Simulation chambers for lunar surface environment, life systems, and astronaut training studies
The Space Medicine Division at Johnson Space Center works with the International Space Station s international partners (IP) to accomplish assigned health care tasks. Each IP may assign a flight surgeon to support their assigned crewmembers during all phases of training, in-flight operations, and postflight activities. Because of the extensive amount of astronaut training conducted in Star City; NASA, in collaboration with its IPs, has elected to keep a flight surgeon assigned to NASA s Star City office to provide support to the U.S., Canadian, Japanese, and European astronauts during hazardous training activities and provide support for any contingency landings of Soyuz spacecraft in Kazakhstan. The physician also provides support as necessary to the Mission Control Center in Moscow for non-Russian crew-related activities. In addition, the physician in Star City provides ambulatory medical care to the non-Russian-assigned personnel in Star City and visiting dependents. Additional work involves all medical supplies, administration, and inventory. The Star City physician assists in medical evacuation and/or in obtaining support from western clinics in Moscow when required care exceeds local resources. Overall, the Russians are responsible for operations and the medical care of the entire crew when training in Star City and during launch/landing operations. However, they allow international partner flight surgeons to care for their crewmembers as agreed to in the ISS Medical Operations Requirements Document. Medical support focuses on pressurized, monitored, and other hazardous training activities. One of the most important jobs is to act as a medical advocate for the astronauts and to reduce the threat that these hazardous activities pose. Although the Russians have a robust medical system, evacuation may be needed to facilitate ongoing medical care. There are several international medical evacuation companies that provide this care.
Astronauts need to go through extensive training on Earth before heading into space, and the more accurate the analogue, the better prepared they will be. NASA currently trains astronauts in simulated lower gravity environments in either the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory or the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS), but neither of these systems allow for testing outdoors in field environments. NASA, in partnership with Aquiline Drones, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and the Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute, are working to develop a gravity offload device compatible with testing in field environments such as Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS). This report covers the technical requirements of the gravity offload device, the design choices and justifications, options for scalability, current progress, and future goals. Two separate teams were formed to respond to NASA’s solicitation, and this report covers the work of the weather balloon and drone side of the project. Using a weather balloon to passively offload the user’s weight and a drone to actively respond to changes using a series of sensors, this system should create a consistent and well balanced offloading force. The weather balloon and drone system is connected to a harness system to comfortably lift the user, offload at their center of gravity, and provide attachment points for some of the necessary sensors. Final testing proved the comfort of the harness, mobility of the user, and passive stability of the balloon offload to exceed all expectations of the team. The current system is a scaled model of what NASA would be able to implement with a maximum offload of 25 pounds. The ability to scale up to NASA’s desired value of 100 pounds is easily achievable with linear scaling of the current model. All systems should work similarly on scaled versions, but minor tweaking and enhanced controls would be needed for optimal performance.