We examine the various dimensions of the Risk of Impaired Control of Spacecraft/Associated Systems and Decreased Mobility Due to Vestibular/Sensorimotor Alterations Associated with Space flight by reviewing the research and operational evidence demonstrating sensorimotor performance decrements during and after space flight. These sensorimotor performance decrements might affect vehicle and complex system control, including decreased visual acuity, eye-hand coordination, spatial and geographic orientation perception, and cognitive function. Sensorimotor performance decrements might also affect the ability to egress and walk away from the vehicle in case of an emergency or an extravehicular activity on a planetary surface. We also review the countermeasures that have been tested, including medication, prevention techniques and training exercises, physical rehabilitation, and mechanical devices. Furthermore, we identify the current knowledge and mitigation gaps that must be filled through further research and/or data mining efforts before the risk can be fully mitigated. We conclude that the true operational risks associated with the impacts of adaptive sensorimotor changes on mobility and crew abilities to control vehicles and other complex systems will only be estimable after the gaps have been filled and we have been able to accurately assess integrated performance in off-nominal operational settings. A large body of sensorimotor research data obtained from space flight experiments over the past half-century demonstrates significant decrements in oculomotor control, eye-hand coordination, spatial orientation, posture\locomotor control and cognition during space flight missions. While these changes are most severe during and after G-transitions, the most crucial time for many critical operational tasks (e.g., landing and egress), only limited information is available to assess the operational impacts of these changes. Some of the operational observations are compelling, but are confounded by unknown environmental and engineering influences. Others appear to raise little concern, but the safety margins are difficult to estimate. During exploration missions, we can expect that most performance circa G-transitions will be degraded further by the influence of extended time in flight (Mars missions), but the potential influence of extended time in hypogravity (Mars and Lunar missions) is unknown. The true operational risks associated with the impacts of adaptive sensorimotor (and other) changes on crew mobility and abilities to control vehicles and other complex systems will only be estimable after the gaps (identified above) have been filled and we have been able to accurately assess integrated performance in off-nominal operational settings. While exclusive crew selection procedures, intensive crew training, and highly reliable hardware/software systems have likely minimized the operational impacts of these sensorimotor changes to date, the impacts of new mission and vehicle designs may offset some of benefits. Forward work in this area must account for the multi-factorial nature of the problem. While sensorimotor and behavioral (cognitive) disciplines clearly have roles to play, muscle (strength and endurance) and cardiovascular (orthostatic tolerance) disciplines also must be involved, as should human factors experts, training experts, vehicle designers, mission designers, and crewmembers. Mechanisms for facilitating cross-disciplinary investigations are only beginning to be established. Future success will clearly require more progress in these approaches.


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    Title :

    Risk of Impaired Control of Spacecraft/Associated Systems and Decreased Mobility Due to Vestibular/Sensorimotor Alterations Associated with Space Flight


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2016


    Size :

    155 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English