Operational Monitoring And Analysis Of Space, Time, And Schedule As Part Of A Space Analogue Mission On Devon Island

Paper number

IAC-07-A1.I.02

Author

Mr. Ryan Kobrick, University of Colorado at Boulder, United States

Coauthor

Mrs. Judith Lapierre, Canada

Coauthor

Mr. Kim Binsted, University of Hawaii, United States

Year

2007

Abstract

Human factors research is a critical element of space exploration as it provides insight into a crew’s performance and interpersonal relationships. Understanding the way humans work can help improve mission efficiency and lead to an optimal design for a habitat. Long duration analogue studies, such as those being conducted at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island, Canada, offer insight to mission operations and will contribute to exploration of the Moon and Mars. FMARS 2007 will be the first four-month analogue Mars mission ever conducted.

This paper will discuss the selection of the four primary human factor studies by the FMARS Science Advisory Group (SAG), with assistance from the crew. These include distance communication technologies and physical training, group dynamics-perception of situational factors, station environment habitability, and a sleep study. The oversight and planning phases will be discussed including the role of remote science, including the primary investigators responsible for each project. The execution of the projects will be discussed in terms of accomplished tasks with respect to space, time and schedule. Following this analysis will be a post mission or post study survey with the crew, scientific advisory group, and remote science team on the perceived relevance and effectiveness of each study on overall human factor research goals with suggestions for future analogue missions. This study will be conducted after receiving approbation of ethics from one of the author’s universities. The objective of this activity is to maximize the scientific return from the four-month mission by discussing the challenges associated with conducting human factors research. The operations will be compared to the planned science objectives and how thoroughly they are completed.

The analysis from monitoring the four primary human factors studies will provide useful design information for mission architecture planning, as it gives both the crew’s and the remote scientists’ perspectives while in a relevant analogue environment. This contribution to human factors research will aid in maximizing success of the studies and yield more valuable results. By treating the allotted time for human factors research as an operational task, a comparison can be made to the actual time spent on the studies during the mission. In addition, comparing a planned schedule of events for human factors testing to a more flexible science field orientated agenda can provide insight to a crew’s work preference and compare it to the demands of working with remote science teams.

Abstract document

IAC-07-A1.I.02.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-A1.I.02.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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