DELTA

Description: Delay in Experiment performance and Live operations by a Test Astronaut (DELTA), an experiment in the field of Human factors - operation economics, time delay Aouda.X vs unsuited operations
PI: Alexander Soucek, MLaw, MSS
Organization: Austrian Space Forum, AT

Summary

DELTA is based on the conduct of six representative, repeatable and combinable dummy experiments of increasing complexity, addressing different aspects of operating with the Aouda.X spacesuit simulator.

Three dummies focus on fine motor skills and spatial orientation, two on physical strain and balance, and one challenges combined operation complexity on a >200sqm obstacle course. Chronopoints (waypoints in time) precisely quantify the duration of assigned tasks. Each single operation is thereby measured in a donned (with suit) and doffed (without suit) situation.

All times measured are finally plotted and interpreted, using statistical means, to derive a DELTA value characterising the average delay to be expected when operating with the Aouda.X spacesuit simulator.

Objectives

• DELTA will quantify the delay introduced in live field operations when operating with the PolAres Aouda.X spacesuit simulator, as compared to a reference non-suit scenario.
• The output of DELTA will be, for the first time and derived on statistical ground, an algorithmic value (the DELTA value) of time delay experienced when conducting experiments with the Aouda.X spacesuit simulator.
• This value and its subsets will allow to better quantify or qualify Estimated Need Times (ENTs) for future experiments conducted during analogue field missions, leading to an improved mission flight planning through time allocation optimization.
• In addition, DELTA allows for deriving secondary information such as a benchmarking of future versions of Aouda, identification of design or operation criticalities, establishment of long-term time series and cross- calibration of the DELTA value with other experiments through the introduction of chronopoint measurements.

Experiment Data

Additional Publications