Safety, performance and comfort on EuroMoonMars MDRS mission simulation

This paper presents the results of studies on living and working activities from the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) EuroMoonMars campaign 2013, carried out at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah to test exploration procedures in Analogue Moon/Mars Base Infrastructure. Inside the station the feasibility and limitations of human and robotic planetary exploration were investigated by two teams of seven and six members (crew 124-125, respectively) for a period of two weeks each. This paper presents the analysis performed by the crews on safety, performance, and comfort during living and working activities. The living conditions were investigated with a debriefing workshop in order to increase the crew's well-being and performance in isolation and an observation of how food and sound impacted the crew. Among the working activities of the crew, this report is concerning the development of an Arduino-based Device for Monitoring Internal EVA Helmet Temperature During EVA, and the ergonomics and balance of transport and access to heavy hand tools on the simulation space suit. Crewmember Comfort and Safety were investigated by Perception of risk, realistic risk of injury, and knowledge of emergency procedures in a simulated Mars environment. Also investigated were design and development of geological field equipment for use in space suit, and ATV capability assessment at MDRS. The campaign was organized by ILEWG with the support of Mars Society, VU Amsterdam, George Washington University, and NASA Ames.