Knowledge and experience of human and technological problems on long-duration missions to Moon and Mars, is at best minimal or worst-case non-existent, as these expeditions are yet to be undertaken. Problems stemming from isolation, inter-group relationships, human response to and interaction with spacecraft interiors in a confined isolated environment have been studied, but in limited ways. On future long-duration planetary missions, the internal environment of the habitat or transit vehicle will be of greater importance than it has been in low earth orbit or short-term missions to the Moon. This paper is in the realm of environmental psychology. In the context of designing space habitats for future long-term interplanetary human space missions, it postulates that it is 'mission critical' to closely integrate 'space architecture, cognitive sciences, human-technology interface design, environmental and personal psychology'. It points out that future planetary simulators are an opportunity to study the relationship between habitat design and crew psychology.The paper begins with an overview of the origin, scope and limitations of human factors as practiced in the aerospace industry. It presents two case studies that illustrate past endeavors attempting to understand human behavior in the context of long-term isolation and confinement in extreme environments. It highlights behavioral research in Antarctica and its implications for environmental design. It draws attention to a recent study by the European Space Agency that emphasizes the need for psychological research using planetary simulators. It concludes with a discussion that includes (a) the reasons why the relationship between 'habitat design' and 'crew psychology' has not been studied to the extent it should have been, (b) the need for modeling this relationship as a complex 'system' with multidimensional interactions between the various elements in the system, and (c) recommendations for undertaking such studies in the future. The paper concludes with an overview of the various components of the 'system' that could serve as a first step towards modeling and understanding the relationship mentioned above.

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Space agencies are planning the next generation simulators in preparation for future human missions to Moon and Mars. Simulators serve as tools to test new technologies, habitat design, procedures, protocols, physiological requirements and psychological countermeasures. This paper focuses on simulator fidelity. Simulator fidelity, as defined by the research team, is: The degree to which a simulator system accurately reproduces the habitat (and/or transit vehicle) conditions, the Planetary Body of Interest (PBI) environment, procedures, protocols and operations of a real mission. Simulator fidelity is critical because the data collected and lessons learnt from simulations are intended for application towards the design of real space missions in the future. If simulator fidelity is compromised, then the simulation data generated might lead to erroneous conclusions. If such data is then used in the design of real missions, it has the potential to adversely affect the crew and in the worst case, even jeopardize the mission.The paper begins with the definition and overview of simulators. This is followed by a discussion about fidelity standards outlined in a recent study by the European Space Agency and recommendations emerging from a workshop in Colorado focusing on improving the quality of future simulators. These recommendations reinforce the need for a 'Fidelity Evaluation Model' to measure, compare and improve fidelity of future simulators. As a first step towards the development of a Fidelity Evaluation Model, the authors gather data associated with simulator fidelity via a questionnaire-based survey of simulator crew members, referred to as simonauts. The authors debrief simonauts from the NASA Lunar Mars Test Project and the Mars Society simulations. The paper concludes with a summary of the survey outcome and a brief discussion of what the authors envision as the next steps in the development of the Fidelity Evaluation Model.

Abstract:Water is ubiquitous and essential, yet we struggle to understand it from a systems perspective. Water is a terrestrial closed-loop system involving individuals, communities, cities and geographies, and as such, might it serve as a metaphor for sustainable design?We identify four locations and frame their connections through water and society. This interaction is highly relevant to future dense urban environments and of interest to CAAS (City As A Spaceship) who explore reciprocities between terrestrial and extra-terrestrial architecture and design. CAAS explores these approaches to water management: 1) California State (United States) 2) New Delhi (India) 3) The International Space Station (Lower Earth Orbit) 4) Micro-Ecological Life-Support System Alternative (European Space Agency Research settings)In this paper, CAAS applies design research approaches to curate and frame reciprocities between situations and societies. Using locational case studies and city-by-city scale infographics it generates a discursive space from which to imagine conceptual shifts in sustainable design.

In light of the renewed international interest in lunar exploration, including plans for setting up a permanent human outpost on the Moon, the need for next generation earth-based human space mission simulators has become inevitable and urgent. These simulators have been shown to be of great value for medical, physiological, psychological, biological and exobiological research, and for subsystem test and development, particularly closed-loop life support systems. The paper presents a summary of a survey of past, present and future human space mission simulators. In 2006, the Vienna based company Liquifer Systems Group (LSG) conducted an in-depth survey, for a European Space Agency (ESA) commissioned Phase-A contract involving a Design Study for a Facility for Integrated Planetary Exploration Simulation (FIPES). The survey data served as reference material for development of the FIPES architecture and, more importantly the application of the data ensured that the Systems Requirements reviewed and amended as part of the FIPES Study fully reflected the design, experience, and lessons learned from the use of such facilities. The paper addresses a hitherto unfulfilled need: a comprehensive, comparative survey of most, if not all, simulators to date. It is a condensed and updated version of the detailed ESA Technical Report produced for the FIPES Study. It presents a comparative analysis of simulator characteristics and consolidated summaries for each simulator classified into (1) site and purpose, (2) key technical data, (3) scientific and medical research functions, and (4) technology test and development functions. It is beyond the scope of this paper to provide details for all twenty-seven simulators surveyed. Therefore, the paper presents selected summaries of three sets of relatively recent simulation campaigns, one European, one American and the other Russian-International. The paper concludes with excerpts of lessons learned from these campaigns.