Vehicle Net Habitable Volume (NHV) and Habitability Assessment (iSHORT)

NOTE: Continuation of "Vehicle NHV and Habitability Assessment" with Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Sherry Thaxton due to Dr. Thaxton's move to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance Deputy Element Scientist, as of 2/5/2017.

The purpose of this study is to assess habitability on the International Space Station (ISS) in order to better prepare for long-duration spaceflight missions of the future. The project deliverables will include information to help prioritize and reduce research gaps, operational inputs to the Human Performance Data Repository, and data for modeling and simulation tool development and validation to use for future designs.The knowledge gained through this project will provide valuable insight into a day-in-the-life of an astronaut as well as providing initial steps to characterize/quantify how we work and live in a microgravity environment during a year-long mission. Thus, it will help address specific research needs identified as part of the Human Research Program's (HRP’s) 2012 Habitable Volume Workshop and Standing Review Panel comments, and result in recommendations for future vehicle design layout and minimum net habitable volume (NHV). In addition, another potential outcome of the project will be enhancing the current ISS human factors crew debrief processes, resulting in higher quality data with minimal impact on crew time.

This study is led by the Human Factors and Behavioral Performance (HFPB) element.

Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: Characterize the current state of ISS habitability using tools to capture data near real-time.

o Aim 1a: Document/quantify details about crew task performance in a long-duration microgravity environment, including influences from the habitable environment and relationship impacts to the behavioral state of crewmembers.

o Aim 1b: Determine whether mission duration leads to changes in habitability/human factors reporting by crewmembers.

o Aim 1c: Assess the cost versus benefit of implementing near real-time tools compared to traditional post-mission debriefs.

Specific Aim 2: Document/characterize details about how crewmembers currently utilize the space on ISS.

o Aim 2a: Quantify time spent by crewmembers at workstations/habitation areas.

o Aim 2b: Collect naturalistic data to document movement of crewmembers throughout ISS (e.g., frequency of translations between locations).

o Aim 2c: Collect evidence to use toward validating estimates of required volume for performance of volume-driving tasks.

o Aim 2d: Capture changes in strategies for crew tasks such as translation, stowage handling, etc. throughout the course of the mission.

Innovative technology developed includes the Space Habitability Observation Reporting Tool (iSHORT). iSHORT is an iPad-based application that allows crewmembers to document near real-time observations about their surroundings using text, photographs, video, and audio recordings. iSHORT was reviewed by the Johnson Space Center (JSC) New Technology Evaluation Board, which recommended it for publication in a future edition of the NASA Tech Briefs magazine.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.