PLRP-3: Operational perspectives conducting science-driven extravehicular activity with communications latency

Miller, Matthew J.; Lim, D. S. S.; Brady, A. L.; Cardman, Z.; Bell, Ernest; Garry, W. B.; Reid, D.; Chappell, Steven P.; Abercromby, Andrew F. J.

doi:10.1109/aero.2016.7500643

Cited by 12 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…During the mission, the study team consistently applied a set of field-tested evaluation techniques that use surveys of acceptability, capability assessment, and simulation quality ratings [7,8,[10][11][12][14][15][16][17]. The surveys included individual and consensus ratings by the EV crew, IV crew, and ST team.…”

Section: Subjective Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of an Earth-based science team during human exploration of Mars

Chappell

Beaton

Newton

et al. 2017

2017 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) is an underwater spaceflight analog that allows a true mission-like operational environment and uses buoyancy effects and added weight to simulate different gravity levels. A mission was undertaken in 2016, NEEMO 21, at the Aquarius undersea research habitat. During the mission, the effects of varied operations concepts with representative communication latencies associated with Mars missions were studied. Six subjects were weighed out to simulate partial gravity and evaluated different operations concepts for integration and management of a simulated Earth-based science team (ST) who provided input and direction during exploration activities. Exploration traverses were planned in advance based on precursor data collected. Subjects completed science-related tasks including presampling surveys and marine-science-based sampling during saturation dives up to 4 hours in duration that simulated extravehicular activity (EVA) on Mars. A communication latency of 15 minutes in each direction between space and ground was simulated throughout the EVAs. Objective data included task completion times, total EVA time, crew idle time, translation time, ST assimilation time (defined as time available for the science team to discuss, to review and act upon data/imagery after they have been collected and transmitted to the ground). Subjective data included acceptability, simulation quality, capability assessment ratings, and comments. In addition, comments from both the crew and the ST were captured during the post-mission debrief. Here, we focus on the acceptability of the operations concepts studied and the capabilities most enhancing or enabling in the operations concept. The importance and challenges of designing EVA timelines to account for the length of the task, level of interaction with the ground that is required/desired, and communication latency, are discussed.

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Section: Subjective Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of an Earth-based science team during human exploration of Mars

Chappell

Beaton

Newton

et al. 2017

2017 IEEE Aerospace Conference

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“…High-resolution still imagery was found to be more useful scientifically than video footage streaming from EV crewmember helmet cameras, although these video feeds were important for operational SA. Finally, PLRP reaffirmed, under real scientific exploration, the importance of two IV crewmembers , with one primarily focused on operations and the other on science, as well as the need for enabling dynamic flexibility within the EVA to best enable science (Miller et al , 2016b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Using Science-Driven Analog Research to Investigate Extravehicular Activity Science Operations Concepts and Capabilities for Human Planetary Exploration

et al. 2019

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Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) is a science-driven exploration program seeking to determine the best tools, techniques, training requirements, and execution strategies for conducting Mars-relevant field science under spaceflight mission conditions. BASALT encompasses Science , Science Operations , and Technology objectives. This article outlines the BASALT Science Operations background, strategic research questions, study design, and a portion of the results from the second field test. BASALT field tests are used to iteratively develop, integrate, test, evaluate, and refine new concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities that enable efficient and productive science. This article highlights the ConOps investigated during BASALT in light of future planetary extravehicular activity (EVA), which will focus on scientific exploration and discovery, and serves as an introduction to integrating exploration flexibility with operational rigor, the value of tactical and strategic science planning and execution, and capabilities that enable and enhance future science EVA operations.

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“…Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) (Eppler, 2013; Gruener et al, 2013; Ross et al, 2013; Yingst et al, 2013) and the Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) both incorporated an intra-EVA science support team, the former working without communication latency. PLRP utilized a one-way light time (OWLT) communication latency of 5 min (10 min round-trip), which was found to strain the science team's ability to tactically acquire, process, and provide directions from the ground, particularly when the scientific objectives of the EVA were survey, representative in nature, as opposed to precise, instrument-data driven (Miller et al, 2016). Such findings led to the concepts of operations (ConOps) design used at NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) (Chappell et al, 2017) and Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains (BASALT) (Beaton et al, 2017), the latter being the setting for this study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The operational concepts applied during the BASALT deployments were based on current mission architectures for Mars human exploration as well as best practices derived from other analog research program results (Lim et al, 2011; Abercromby et al, 2013; Chappell et al, 2013; Eppler, 2013; Yingst et al, 2013; Miller et al, 2016) and were designed to allow the SST to tactically react to events during intra-EVA periods (Beaton et al, 2019a). EVAs were divided into five distinct phases (with some representative times): (1) approach (1 h); (2) contextual survey (10 min); (3) sample location search (1 h) (2 and 3 merged in 2017 deployment); (4) presampling survey (1 h); and (5) sampling (50 min).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing Intra-EVA Science Support Team Practices for a Human Mission to Mars

et al. 2019

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During the BASALT research program, real (nonsimulated) geological and biological science was accomplished through a series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) under simulated Mars mission conditions. These EVAs were supported by a Mission Support Center (MSC) that included an on-site, colocated Science Support Team (SST). The SST was composed of scientists from a variety of disciplines and operations researchers who provided scientific and technical expertise to the crew while each EVA was being conducted (intra-EVA). SST management and organization developed under operational conditions that included Mars-like communication latencies, bandwidth constraints, and EVA plans that were infused with Mars analog field science objectives. This paper focuses on the SST workspace considerations such as science team roles, physical layout, communication interactions, operational techniques, and work support technology. Over the course of BASALT field deployments to Idaho and Hawai‘i, the SST team made several changes of note to increase both productivity and efficiency. For example, new roles were added for more effective management of technical discussions, and the layout of the SST workspace evolved multiple times during the deployments. SST members' reflexive adjustments resulted in a layout that prioritized face-to-face discussions over face-to-data displays, highlighting the importance of interpersonal communication during SST decision-making. In tandem with these workspace adjustments, a range of operational techniques were developed to help the SST manage discussions and information flow under time pressure.

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PLRP-3: Operational perspectives conducting science-driven extravehicular activity with communications latency

Cited by 12 publications

References 36 publications

Integration of an Earth-based science team during human exploration of Mars

Integration of an Earth-based science team during human exploration of Mars

Using Science-Driven Analog Research to Investigate Extravehicular Activity Science Operations Concepts and Capabilities for Human Planetary Exploration

Developing Intra-EVA Science Support Team Practices for a Human Mission to Mars

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