EXPERIMENT INFORMATION
Assessment of Human Factors (DSO 904)
Principal Investigator
Research Area:
Behavior and performance
Human factors
Species Studied
Scientific Name: Homo sapiens Species: Human
Study Type
Description
OBJECTIVES:
This five-part experiment studied the human interaction with equipment, their environment, and each other in microgravity. U.S. and Russian crewmembers have often complained about in-flight noise levels that regularly disrupt sleep, make communication difficult, and increase tension in an already demanding environment. Some crewmembers have worn ear plugs, which may have protected against hearing loss, but was not an acceptable solution to the overall problems of noise. An objective of this study was to assess acoustic noise levels in order to document impacts on crew performance, collect in-flight sound level measurements, compare noise levels across missions, obtain preflight and postflight audiometry measures from crewmembers, and evaluate Shuttle acoustic criteria. Another goal of this study was to determine the effect of vibration on crew comfort and task performance. This was accomplished by postflight crew questionnaires, by ground personnel monitoring the mission during crew waking hours, by analysis of videotape, and by correlation with quantitative acceleration data from the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS).
This five-part experiment studied the human interaction with equipment, their environment, and each other in microgravity. U.S. and Russian crewmembers have often complained about in-flight noise levels that regularly disrupt sleep, make communication difficult, and increase tension in an already demanding environment. Some crewmembers have worn ear plugs, which may have protected against hearing loss, but was not an acceptable solution to the overall problems of noise. An objective of this study was to assess acoustic noise levels in order to document impacts on crew performance, collect in-flight sound level measurements, compare noise levels across missions, obtain preflight and postflight audiometry measures from crewmembers, and evaluate Shuttle acoustic criteria. Another goal of this study was to determine the effect of vibration on crew comfort and task performance. This was accomplished by postflight crew questionnaires, by ground personnel monitoring the mission during crew waking hours, by analysis of videotape, and by correlation with quantitative acceleration data from the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS).
Publications
Greenisen MC, Hayes JC, Siconolfi SF, Moore AD. Functional performance evaluation. In: Sawin CF, Taylor GR, Smith WL, editors. Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project final report 1989-1995. Houston: NASA Johnson Space Center, 1999.
Koros A, Wheelwright C, and Adam S. An evaluation of noise and its effects on shuttle crewmembers during STS-50/USML-1. 1993. NASA-TM-104775. [NTRS]
Mount FE, Adam S, Mckay T, Whitmore M, Merced-Moore D, Holden T, Wheelwright C, Koros, A Sr., Oneal M, and Toole J. Human factors assessments of the STS-57 SpaceHab-1 mission. 1994. NASA-TM-104802. [NTRS]
Keywords
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Parameters
Communication
Computer task completion, minutes
Concentration
Fatigue
Lighting levels
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Mission/Study Information
| Mission | Launch/Start Date | Landing/End Date | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| STS-40 | 06/05/1991 | 06/14/1991 | 9 days |
| STS-47 | 09/12/1992 | 09/19/1992 | 7 days |
| STS-50 | 06/25/1992 | 07/09/1992 | 14 days |
| STS-57 | 06/21/1993 | 07/01/1993 | 10 days |
| STS-58 | 10/18/1993 | 11/01/1993 | 14 days |
| STS-70 | 07/13/1995 | 07/22/1995 | 9 days |
| STS-73 | 10/20/1995 | 11/05/1995 | 16 days |
| STS-88 | 12/04/1998 | 12/15/1998 | 12 days |
| STS-90 | 04/17/1998 | 05/03/1998 | 16 days |
Additional Information
Co-Investigators
Managing NASA Center
Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Responsible NASA Representative
Johnson Space Center LSDA Office
Project Manager: Eric Gallagher
Project Manager: Eric Gallagher
Institutional Support
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
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