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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1973

U.S. view of human problems to be addressed for long duration space flights

The Russian and American space programs have consisted of several thousands of hours of exposure of man to the space environment. In spite of numerous biological phenomena of adaptation observed, the space travellers have displayed, after their return, no enduring pathological effect. Although the usable data remain too limited to reflect fully the effects of space flight, it is possible to sketch the biological responses in the absence of gravity and to define the work bases for the future. Beyond its basic physiological effects, weightlessness has operational consequences in the daily life of the astronauts. These consequences will be still more evident during missions of long duration. The conclusions drawn in flight as well as on the ground are reviewed, and future requirements concerning prolonged flights are outlined. The gaps in actual knowledge are discussed and solutions are suggested. The problems of habitability are considered, particularly those which remain at present without satisfactory solutions: psychological responses to a confined life, cleaning, hygiene, and used material.

Berry, C. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Toward applied behavior analysis of life aloft

This article deals with systems at multiple levels, at least from cell to organization. It also deals with learning, decision making, and other behavior at multiple levels. Technological development of a human behavioral ecosystem appropriate to space environments requires an analytic and synthetic orientation, explicitly experimental in nature, dictated by scientific and pragmatic considerations, and closely approximating procedures of established effectiveness in other areas of natural science. The conceptual basis of such an approach has its roots in environmentalism which has two main features: (1) knowledge comes from experience rather than from innate ideas, divine revelation, or other obscure sources; and (2) action is governed by consequences rather than by instinct, reason, will, beliefs, attitudes or even the currently fashionable cognitions. Without an experimentally derived data base founded upon such a functional analysis of human behavior, the overgenerality of "ecological systems" approaches render them incapable of ensuring the successful establishment of enduring space habitats. Without an experimentally derived function account of individual behavioral variability, a natural science of behavior cannot exist. And without a natural science of behavior, the social sciences will necessarily remain in their current status as disciplines of less than optimal precision or utility. Such a functional analysis of human performance should provide an operational account of behavior change in a manner similar to the way in which Darwin's approach to natural selection accounted for the evolution of phylogenetic lines (i.e., in descriptive, nonteleological terms). Similarly, as Darwin's account has subsequently been shown to be consonant with information obtained at the cellular level, so too should behavior principles ultimately prove to be in accord with an account of ontogenetic adaptation at a biochemical level. It would thus seem obvious that the most productive conceptual and methodological approaches to long-term research investments focused upon human behavior in space environments will require multidisciplinary inputs from such wide-ranging fields as molecular biology, environmental physiology, behavioral biology, architecture, sociology, and political science, among others.

Review↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mycotecture Off Planet: Fungi as A Building Material on The Moon and Mars

A turtle carries its own habitat. While reliable, it costs energy and is not easily adapted for the environment. NASA makes the same trade-off when it transports habitats and other structures needed to lunar and planetary surfaces. Astronauts stayed on the lunar surface for up to 75 h (Apollo 17), so the lunar module (LM) could double as a habitat. An example of the “build it on Earth, launch it into space” approach is the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Deep Space Habitat, developed by the Habitat Systems Project (NASA AES). The hardware consists of a composite fiberglass resin-infused shell attached to eight steel ribs, providing living and working space for a crew of four. Even with the use of advanced materials, it weighs >14,000 kg (~ 466 kg/m2 living space), leading to high launch costs. Upmass and resupply will result in reduced surface operations, greater mission risk, loss of productivity and psychological stress.

L J Rothschild↗

DOE OSTI2021

Tonal Emergence: An agent-based model of tonal coordination

Humans have a remarkable capacity for coordination. Our ability to interact and act jointly in groups is crucial to our success as a species. Joint Action (JA) research has often concerned itself with simplistic behaviors in highly constrained laboratory tasks. But there has been a growing interest in understanding complex coordination in more open-ended contexts. In this regard, collective music improvisation has emerged as a fascinating model domain for studying basic JA mechanisms in an unconstrained and highly sophisticated setting. A number of empirical studies have begun to elucidate coordination mechanisms underlying joint musical improvisation, but these empirical findings have yet to be cached out in a working computational model. The present work fills this gap by presenting TonalEmergence, an idealized agent-based model of improvised musical coordination. TonalEmergence models the coordination of notes played by improvisers to generate harmony (i.e., tonality), by simulating agents that stochastically generate notes biased towards maximizing harmonic consonance given their partner’s previous notes. Here, the model replicates an interesting empirical result from a previous study of professional jazz pianists: feedback loops of mutual adaptation between interacting agents support the production of consonant harmony. The model is further explored to show how complex tonal dynamics, such as the production and dissolution of stable tonal centers, are supported by agents that are characterized by (i) a tendency to strive toward consonance, (ii) stochasticity, and (iii) a limited memory for previously played notes. TonalEmergence thus provides a grounded computational model to simulate and probe the coordination mechanisms underpinning one of the more remarkable feats of human cognition: collective music improvisation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Human Factors and Technologies Design to Improve User Acceptance of Pooled Rideshare for Increasing Transportation System Energy Efficiency

This multi-year project delivered a comprehensive, human-factors-driven framework to understand, model, and improve pooled rideshare (PR) adoption in the United States. Through three large-scale national survey studies involving more than 16,000 participants across multiple cities and demographic groups, the research established one of the most extensive datasets to date on user perceptions, behavioral barriers, and service expectations related to pooled rideshare. These data revealed key human factors barriers of user acceptance of PR and suggested potential actionable experience optimizations that could lead to increased PR usage. This foundational knowledge guided the development of novel human-factors models and behavioral choice models that quantify how psychological, demographic, and trip-level factors influence willingness to pool. Building on these empirical insights, the project developed advanced behavioral modeling tools, including mixed logit and integrated choice and latent variable models, to capture both observable and latent influences on PR adoption. These models significantly improved the ability to predict riders’ acceptance of pooled trips, explaining choice heterogeneity through latent constructs such as safety, service experience, privacy concerns, time sensitivity, and environmental attitudes. Together, these models provide a robust analytical foundation for designing PR systems that more effectively meet user needs. The project translated human-factors insights and behavioral models into actionable technology innovations by extending POLARIS—an agent-based, activity-based travel simulation platform—into a fully functional pooled rideshare simulation environment. New PR modules, acceptance models, and regional scenarios were implemented for Greenville, SC and Austin, TX, enabling high-fidelity validation of algorithmic strategies under realistic demand and traffic conditions. The simulation platform supported the development and evaluation of adaptive discount-based assignment algorithms, enhanced willingness-to-pay formulations, demographic-aware incentive mechanisms, and a proactive joint assignment and repositioning strategy. Simulation results demonstrated substantial gains in pooling uptake, average vehicle occupancy, energy efficiency, and fleet profitability. In Greenville, pooling adoption more than doubled, while reductions in vehicle-miles traveled and energy consumption were significant. In Austin, pooling improvements were achieved with minimal service-quality trade-offs, and profitability increased across all fleet sizes. Through this research, we developed a comprehensive understanding of the human factors barriers that limit user acceptance of pooled rideshare services. These insights enabled the design of human-factors-aware pooled rideshare technologies that more effectively address user concerns and improve adoption rates. By integrating these models into an advanced agent-based simulation framework, we demonstrated that higher adoption of pooled rideshare can lead to measurable improvements in energy efficiency and system performance. Together, these contributions establish a validated pathway from human-centered analysis to technology development and energy-saving outcomes, supporting national goals for more sustainable and efficient mobility systems.

Jia, Yunyi↗

NASA NTRS2015

Critical Team Composition Issues for Long-Distance and Long-Duration Space Exploration: A Literature Review, an Operational Assessment, and Recommendations for Practice and Research

Prevailing team effectiveness models suggest that teams are best positioned for success when certain enabling conditions are in place (Hackman, 1987; Hackman, 2012; Mathieu, Maynard, Rapp, & Gilson, 2008; Wageman, Hackman, & Lehman, 2005). Team composition, or the configuration of member attributes, is an enabling structure key to fostering competent teamwork (Hackman, 2002; Wageman et al., 2005). A vast body of research supports the importance of team composition in team design (Bell, 2007). For example, team composition is empirically linked to outcomes such as cooperation (Eby & Dobbins, 1997), social integration (Harrison, Price, Gavin, & Florey, 2002), shared cognition (Fisher, Bell, Dierdorff, & Belohlav, 2012), information sharing (Randall, Resick, & DeChurch, 2011), adaptability (LePine, 2005), and team performance (e.g., Bell, 2007). As such, NASA has identified team composition as a potentially powerful means for mitigating the risk of performance decrements due to inadequate crew cooperation, coordination, communication, and psychosocial adaptation in future space exploration missions. Much of what is known about effective team composition is drawn from research conducted in conventional workplaces (e.g., corporate offices, production plants). Quantitative reviews of the team composition literature (e.g., Bell, 2007; Bell, Villado, Lukasik, Belau, & Briggs, 2011) are based primarily on traditional teams. Less is known about how composition affects teams operating in extreme environments such as those that will be experienced by crews of future space exploration missions. For example, long-distance and long-duration space exploration (LDSE) crews are expected to live and work in isolated and confined environments (ICEs) for up to 30 months. Crews will also experience communication time delays from mission control, which will require crews to work more autonomously (see Appendix A for more detailed information regarding the LDSE context). Given the unique context within which LDSE crews will operate, NASA identified both a gap in knowledge related to the effective composition of autonomous, LDSE crews, and the need to identify psychological and psychosocial factors, measures, and combinations thereof that can be used to compose highly effective crews (Team Gap 8). As an initial step to address Team Gap 8, we conducted a focused literature review and operational assessment related to team composition issues for LDSE. The objectives of our research were to: (1) identify critical team composition issues and their effects on team functioning in LDSE-analogous environments with a focus on key composition factors that will most likely have the strongest influence on team performance and well-being, and 1 Astronaut diary entry in regards to group interaction aboard the ISS (p.22; Stuster, 2010) 2 (2) identify and evaluate methods used to compose teams with a focus on methods used in analogous environments. The remainder of the report includes the following components: (a) literature review methodology, (b) review of team composition theory and research, (c) methods for composing teams, (d) operational assessment results, and (e) recommendations.

Bell, Suzanne T.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Preliminary design of a universal Martian lander

In the next 25 years, mankind will be undertaking yet another giant leap forward in the exploration of the solar system: a manned mission to Mars. This journey will provide important information on the composition and history of both Mars and the Solar System. A manned mission will also provide the opportunity to study how humans can adapt to long term space flight conditions and the Martian environment. As part of the NASA/USRA program, nineteen West Virginia University students conducted a preliminary design of a manned Universal Martian Lander (UML). The UML's design will provide a 'universal' platform, consisting of four modules for living and laboratory experiments and a liquid-fuel propelled Manned Ascent Return Vehicle (MARV). The distinguishing feature of the UML is the 'universal' design of the modules which can be connected to form a network of laboratories and living quarters for future missions thereby reducing development and production costs. The WVU design considers descent to Mars from polar orbit, a six month surface stay, and ascent for rendezvous. The design begins with an unmanned UML landing at Elysium Mons followed by the manned UML landing nearby. During the six month surface stay, the eight modules will be assembled to form a Martian base where scientific experiments will be performed. The mission will also incorporate hydroponic plant growth into a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) for water recycling, food production, and to counteract psychological effects of living on Mars. In situ fuel production for the MARV will be produced from gases in the Martian atmosphere. Following surface operations, the eight member crew will use the MARV to return to the Martian Transfer Vehicle (MTV) for the journey home to Earth.

Norman, Timothy L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Summary of presentation for research on social structure, agreement, and conflict in groups in extreme and isolated environments

Despite a vast amount of research, little is known concerning the effect of group structure, and individuals' understanding of that structure, on conflict in Antarctic groups. The overall objective of the research discussed is to determine the interrelationships of group structure, social cognition, and group function and conflict in isolated and extreme environments. In the two decades following WWII, a large body of research focused on the physiological, psychological, and social psychological factors affecting the functioning of individuals and groups in a variety of extreme and isolated environments in both the Arctic and Antarctic. There are two primary reasons for further research of this type. First, Antarctic polar stations are considered to be natural laboratories for the social and behavioral sciences and provide an opportunity to address certain theoretical and empirical questions concerned with agreement and conflict in social groups in general and group behavior in extreme, isolated environments in particular. Recent advances in the analysis of social networks and intracultural variation have improved the methods and have shifted the theoretical questions. The research is motivated by three classes of questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the social relations among individuals working and living together in extreme and isolated environments?; (2) What do individuals understand about their group, how does that understanding develop, and how is it socially distributed?; and (3) What is the relationship between that understanding and the functioning of the social group? Answers to these questions are important if we are to advance our knowledge of how individuals and groups adapt to extreme environments. Second, although Antarctic winter-over candidates may be evaluated as qualified on the basis of individual characteristics, they may fail to adapt because of certain characteristics of the social group. Consequently, the ability of winter-over-groups to adapt to these extreme conditions has varied dramatically from year to year. In the past, differences in personality, background, and social status have led to conflicts between individuals or cliques precipitating, in turn, an overall decline in morale, failure to accomplish work tasks, and increases in insomnia, depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. A better understanding of the role of group structure and social cognition in processes of group adaptation and conflict in Antarctica would contribute towards the revision of existing screening methods, potentially leading to a reduction of group conflict and improved performance of scientific research and support activities. An improved screening protocol for the Antarctic would also have applications for other isolated environments such as scientific outposts and the proposed NASA space station. In sum, this research will (1) contribute significantly to our theoretical understanding of the role of social structure and cognition in the functioning of groups in isolation; (2) complement current work on health and adaptation in polar environments; and (3) provide for models of the formation of group structure that will aid in the development of improved procedures for assembling groups for the Antarctic and other isolated environments (e.g., space stations).

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2010

Physics of Life: A Model for Non-Newtonian Properties of Living Systems

This innovation proposes the reconciliation of the evolution of life with the second law of thermodynamics via the introduction of the First Principle for modeling behavior of living systems. The structure of the model is quantum-inspired: it acquires the topology of the Madelung equation in which the quantum potential is replaced with the information potential. As a result, the model captures the most fundamental property of life: the progressive evolution; i.e. the ability to evolve from disorder to order without any external interference. The mathematical structure of the model can be obtained from the Newtonian equations of motion (representing the motor dynamics) coupled with the corresponding Liouville equation (representing the mental dynamics) via information forces. All these specific non-Newtonian properties equip the model with the levels of complexity that matches the complexity of life, and that makes the model applicable for description of behaviors of ecological, social, and economical systems. Rather than addressing the six aspects of life (organization, metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, and reproduction), this work focuses only on biosignature ; i.e. the mechanical invariants of life, and in particular, the geometry and kinematics of behavior of living things. Living things obey the First Principles of Newtonian mechanics. One main objective of this model is to extend the First Principles of classical physics to include phenomenological behavior on living systems; to develop a new mathematical formalism within the framework of classical dynamics that would allow one to capture the specific properties of natural or artificial living systems such as formation of the collective mind based upon abstract images of the selves and non-selves; exploitation of this collective mind for communications and predictions of future expected characteristics of evolution; and for making decisions and implementing the corresponding corrections if the expected scenario is different from the originally planned one. This approach postulates that even a primitive living species possesses additional, non-Newtonian properties that are not included in the laws of Newtonian or statistical mechanics. These properties follow from a privileged ability of living systems to possess a self-image (a concept introduced in psychology) and to interact with it. The proposed mathematical system is based on the coupling of the classical dynamical system representing the motor dynamics with the corresponding Liouville equation describing the evolution of initial uncertainties in terms of the probability density and representing the mental dynamics. The coupling is implemented by the information-based supervising forces that can be associated with self-awareness. These forces fundamentally change the pattern of the probability evolution, and therefore, lead to a major departure of the behavior of living systems from the patterns of both Newtonian and statistical mechanics. This innovation is meant to capture the signature of life based only on observable behavior, not on any biochemistry. This will not prevent the use of this model for developing artificial living systems, as well as for studying some general properties of behavior of natural, living systems.

Zak, Michail↗

NASA NTRS1985

Effects of 9-hour time zone changes on fatigue and circadian rhythms of sleep/wake and core temperature

Physiological and psychological disruptions caused by transmeridian flights may affect the ability of flight crews to meet operational demands. To study these effects, 9 Royal Norwegian Airforces P3-Orion crewmembers flew from Norway to California (-9 hr), and back (+9 hr). Rectal temperature, heart rate and wrist activity were recorded every 2 min, fatigue and mood were rated every 2 hr during the waking day, and logs were kept of sleep times and ratings. Subjects also completed 4 personality inventories. The time-zone shifts produced negative changes in mood which persisted longer after westward flights. Sleep quality (subjective and objective) and duration were slightly disrupted (more after eastward flights). The circadian rhythms of sleep/wake and temperature both completed the 9-hr delay by day 5 in California, although temperature adjusted more slowly. The size of the delay shift was significantly correlated with scores on extraversion and achievement need personality scales. Response to the 9-hr advance were more variable. One subject exhibited a 15-hr delay in his temperature rhythm, and an atypical sleep/nap pattern. On average, the sleep/wake cycle (but not the temperature rhythm), completed the 9-hr advance by the end of the study. Both rhythms adapted more slowly after the eastward flight.

Gander, P. H.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Transcriptomic Changes in Seedlings from Seeds Exposed to Simulated Space Radiation

Outside the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, living organisms are constantly exposed to space radiation that consists of energetic protons and other heavier charged particles. With the goal of manned Mars exploration, the production of fresh crop during long duration space missions can be beneficial for meeting astronauts’ nutritional and psychological needs. In our study, we not only evaluated plant/fruit morphometrics and edible fresh mass, but also analyzed transcriptomic changes in seedlings from seeds of three plant species (Arabidopsis, mizuna, and tomato) exposed to simulated Galactic Cosmic Rays(GCR) and solar particle events(SPE). The radiation experiments were performed in the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) facility at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). 10-day Arabidopsis seedlings were exposed acutely (~240 cGy/hr) to simulated GCR scenarios of combined ions including protons, helium, oxygen, titanium, and/or iron ions at 40 or 80 cGy. Seeds of Arabidopsis, mizuna, and tomato were exposed to 40 or 80 cGy simulated GCR (dry seeds) or SPE (imbibed seeds) at lower dose rates(20-26 cGy/hr). Seedlings from control and irradiated seeds were then collected in RNAlater at similar growth stages with true leaves emerged. Total RNA was isolated and analyzed via Illumina whole transcriptome sequencing technology. Plant species-specific bioinformatics revealed transcriptional biomarkers and signaling pathways induced by simulated space radiation that were found to be dose, dose-rate, and species dependent. DNA damage response, stress signaling, and metabolic pathways are among the most significant changes. These data highlight some critical insights on the mechanisms of how plants respond and adapt to the space radiation environment and provide a molecular basis for crop selection and refinement in deep space exploration.

Anirudha Dixit↗

NASA NTRS2005

Recreation Embedded State Tuning for Optimal Readiness and Effectiveness (RESTORE)

Physiological self-regulation training is a behavioral medicine intervention that has demonstrated capability to improve psychophysiological coping responses to stressful experiences and to foster optimal behavioral and cognitive performance. Once developed, these psychophysiological skills require regular practice for maintenance. A concomitant benefit of these physiologically monitored practice sessions is the opportunity to track crew psychophysiological responses to the challenges of the practice task in order to detect shifts in adaptability that may foretell performance degradation. Long-duration missions will include crew recreation periods that will afford physiological self-regulation training opportunities. However, to promote adherence to the regimen, the practice experience that occupies their recreation time must be perceived by the crew as engaging and entertaining throughout repeated reinforcement sessions on long-duration missions. NASA biocybernetic technologies and publications have developed a closed-loop concept that involves adjusting or modulating (cybernetic, for governing) a person's task environment based upon a comparison of that person's physiological responses (bio-) with a training or performance criterion. This approach affords the opportunity to deliver physiological self-regulation training in an entertaining and motivating fashion and can also be employed to create a conditioned association between effective performance state and task execution behaviors, while enabling tracking of individuals psychophysiological status over time in the context of an interactive task challenge. This paper describes the aerospace spin-off technologies in this training application area as well as the current spin-back application of the technologies to long-duration missions - the Recreation Embedded State Tuning for Optimal Readiness and Effectiveness (RESTORE) concept. The RESTORE technology is designed to provide a physiological self-regulation training countermeasure for maintaining and reinforcing cognitive readiness, resilience under psychological stress, and effective mood states in long-duration crews. The technology consists of a system for delivering physiological self-regulation training and for tracking crew central and autonomic nervous system function; the system interface is designed to be experienced as engaging and entertaining throughout repeated training sessions on long-duration missions. Consequently, this self-management technology has threefold capability for recreation, behavioral health problem prophylaxis and remediation, and psychophysiological assay. The RESTORE concept aims to reduce the risk of future manned exploration missions by enhancing the capability of individual crewmembers to self-regulate cognitive states through recreation-embedded training protocols to effectively deal with the psychological toll of long-duration space flight.

Pope, Alan T.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-14834-DND

A recent spin-off from flight deck adaptive automation research at NASA Langley Research Center is a biocybernetic invention referred to informally as MindShift. When using the MindShift technology, a person is able to play off-the-shelf Nintendo Wii games enhanced with biofeedback, which is used to improve self-regulation of physiological functioning. Therefore, the user experiences the challenge of regulating their physiological responses during gameplay in addition to the intended challenges presented in the video game. The research projects being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Alan Pope and Chad Stephens at NASA Langley Research Center examine the effects of interacting with the MindShift invention technology on subjects' self-regulation of heart rate and brainwave activity, performance in the games, performance on cognitive tasks, and subjective experience of effort (i.e., workload). The MindShift invention's effects are being compared to the effects of interacting with the games without the MindShift technology and to the effects of interacting with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, specifically the Mattel Mind Flex and the Uncle Milton Star Wars Force Trainer. A 32-channel electroencephalograph system is used to record subjects' brainwave and electrocardiographic activity. The potential for biofeedback game system applications is wide-ranging - from a more engaging form of clinical biofeedback training to a new challenge for avid gamers. Consequently, research needs to be conducted to fully understand the effects that these new games have on a person's physiological and psychological functioning. Biocybernetic technology like MindShift developed from the idea that operators of critical systems such as aerospace systems could hone their stress management and attention skills in biofeedback-augmented leisure activities while off-the-job in order to positively affect their on-the-job performance. This human performance enhancement technology is applicable to skill training on manually controlled critical tasks, such as unmanned aerial vehicle teleoperation, thus enabling the training of cognitive skills to be concurrent with manual skills. Furthermore, this type of technology can apply to medical and clinical uses of biofeedback by serving as an additional form of clinical biofeedback training that may be particularly useful for those with ADHD.

Brittany N Neilson↗

NASA NTRS2016

Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) "AirStation": Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Carrier Concept

Proposals for adapting modern airship technologies for military missions have mostly focused on exploiting the airships high flight endurance and low fuel requirement to conduct direct surveillance missions requiring high degrees of persistence over the areas to be observed. While this mission has value, it constrains the airship in two regards. (1) It places all the surveillance sensors, communication systems, and other mission equipment in the airship itself. (2) It requires the airship to be physically in the vicinity of the areas to be directly observed. A more advanced utilization of airship technology would be to add the capability to deploy a separate set of surveillance equipment, thereby enabling indirect and distributed observation operations. This can be undertaken by installing surveillance equipment in a squadron of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that can be carried and operated remotely from the airship, and then return to the airship as a base of support. This could be accomplished by deploying 20-30 UASs on an optionally manned (5 person crew) airship. The mission focus of the airship UAS carrier would be for support of distributed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), close air support (CAS), maritime patrol and interdiction, electronic warfare (EW), persistent area dominance and missile defense. The logic for utilizing an airship carrier over a ground base to deploy UAS will be examined. Whether to be used as a stand-alone platform or in concert with conventional intelligence gathering techniques, the airship UAS carrier can provide the following benefits: a mobile base that will remain accessible despite political fallout which may render a ground base unavailable for use, the psychological impact of a power projection tool that has no geographical limits (imagined in the same way a naval carrier group projects power), cost-saving intelligence gathering over manned alternatives (assumption), and a wider area of influence when compared to an immobile ground base that must facilitate the transfer of UAS to other bases in order to overfly particular areas (all operations, launch, recover, etc. take place from the airship).

Hochstetler, Ron↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

PLANNING FOR VEG-05 TOMATO CROP PRODUCTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Growing fresh, nutritious, palatable produce for crew consumption during spaceflight may provide health-promoting, bioavailable nutrients and enhance the astronaut dietary experience as we move toward longer-duration missions. Tending plants may also serve as a countermeasure for crew psychological stresses associated with spaceflight. However, requirements to support consistent growth of a variety of nutritious crops under spaceflight environmental conditions remain unclear. This study explores the potential to grow crops for consumption on the International Space Station (ISS) using the Veggie vegetable-production system. Mizuna mustard was grown during VEG-04 studies in 2019, and human and plant data from those tests continue to be analyzed. Tomato plants will be grown for the VEG-05 experiment, and preflight definition studies are underway to ascertain the best hardware and operations for growing this fruiting crop. The variety of tomato selected for this study is ‘Red Robin’, a compact cherry tomato. Plants will be grown under two different red: blue lighting treatments using the Veggie units on ISS, and the impact of spectral quality on plant growth and yield, nutrient content, organoleptic acceptability, and microbial composition of the tomatoes will be assessed. Preliminary testing with this crop helped to identify responses to different analog types of growth hardware including both plant pillows and Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units, and current testing is focusing on flight-like versions of this hardware. Challenges with fertilizer salts leaching out into the plant wicks and burning the stems of tomato were observed in earlier tests, so amended fertilizer and wick configurations have been developed. Crew procedures including plant thinning, watering, height adjustment with respect to lighting, and pollination are being validated. VEG-05 will be the first test of tomato fruit production on ISS. Lessons learned during preparation and implementation of the VEG-04 mizuna test for watering, and a separate ISS investigation with peppers (PH-04) in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) in terms of fertilizer, plant wicks, and pollination, will be adapted for this experiment. This research was co-funded by the Human Research Program and Space Biology (MTL#1075) in the ILSRA 2015 NRA call.

Veggie↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Planning for VEG-05 Tomato Crop Production on the International Space Station

Veggie↗

NASA NTRS1998

Self-motion perception: assessment by computer-generated animations

The goal of this research is more precise description of adaptation to sensory rearrangements, including microgravity, by development of improved procedures for assessing spatial orientation perception. Thirty-six subjects reported perceived self-motion following exposure to complex inertial-visual motion. Twelve subjects were assigned to each of 3 perceptual reporting procedures: (a) animation movie selection, (b) written report selection and (c) verbal report generation. The question addressed was: do reports produced by these procedures differ with respect to complexity and reliability? Following repeated (within-day and across-day) exposures to 4 different "motion profiles," subjects either (a) selected movies presented on a laptop computer, or (b) selected written descriptions from a booklet, or (c) generated self-motion verbal descriptions that corresponded most closely with their motion experience. One "complexity" and 2 reliability "scores" were calculated. Contrary to expectations, reliability and complexity scores were essentially equivalent for the animation movie selection and written report selection procedures. Verbal report generation subjects exhibited less complexity than did subjects in the other conditions and their reports were often ambiguous. The results suggest that, when selecting from carefully written descriptions and following appropriate training, people may be better able to describe their self-motion experience with words than is usually believed.

Non-NASA Center↗