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Zachary Wusk

Publications and source records attributed to Zachary Wusk.

5 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2023

Developing a Hybrid Space Suit Simulator as a Research Tool for Assessing Extravehicular Activity Relevant Workload

Suited testing time is limited and hard to come by, expensive, and requires a whole team to operate and monitor the suit; however, pressurized spacesuits are not always necessary for initial developmental efforts or assessment of informatics. The Human Physiology, Performance, Protection & Operations Laboratory (H-3PO) at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is developing a Hybrid Space Suit Simulator (HS3) to support characterization of human performance during planetary surface exploration analogs. The primary goal of HS3 is to create a low cost, modular, and unpressurized suit simulator for use as a research tool which provides relevant physical and cognitive workload approximations with EVA-like immersion during planetary extravehicular activity (EVA) simulations. HS3 consists of a soft suit, communication, thermal control, gloves, boots, helmet, and integrated bioinformatics/sensors. The modular design of HS3 allows it to be modified to support test objectives as needed. HS3 enables H-3PO and NASA to complete critical human health and performance testing to address open risks and knowledge gaps in a timely, repeatable, and controlled manner. Four engineering runs were completed with HS3 as a baseline for capability. General workload was assessed while traversing on a passive treadmill and conducting geology tasks. Liquid cooling temperature, suit temperature, and metabolic rates were collected during one extended three-hour engineering run. For the duration of the engineering run the suit temperature was 26.6 ± 1.58 °C while suit humidity was 53.7 ± 5.11 %. Helmet temperature was higher than suit temperature at 27.8 ± 1.58 °C. Helmet humidity was lower than average suit humidity at 50.12 ± 11.3 °C. The liquid cooling temperature remained stable at 22.4 ± 1.62 °C. Resting metabolic rate was 597 ± 88 BTU/hr while metabolic rate increased during traverse tasks at 1500 ± 319 BTU/hr and geology tasks at 921 ± 129 BTU/hr. Following the engineering runs, a characterization study will be conducted. The subjects will perform EVA-like scenarios in both a shirtsleeve only and donned HS3, consisting of EVA task circuit focused on traversing, geological rock sampling, and task board manipulation. The characterization study will provide data capability for implementing HS3 in analog EVA testing environments.

Monica Hew↗
NASA NTRS2023

Developing a Hybrid Spacesuit Simulator as a Research Tool for Assessing Extravehicular Activity Relevant Workload

Conducting human tests in a pressurized spacesuit is limited by availability, cost, and manpower; however, pressurized spacesuits are not always needed depending on the objectives of testing, including the development and testing of new informatics capabilities. The Human Physiology, Performance, Protection & Operations Laboratory (H-3PO) at NASA is developing a Hybrid Spacesuit Simulator (HS3) to support testing and characterization of human performance during analog planetary exploration extravehicular activities (EVAs). The goal of HS3 is to create a low-cost, modular, and unpressurized spacesuit simulator as a research tool that provides relevant physical and cognitive workload approximations with EVA-like immersion. HS3 consists of a soft outer suit, thermal control, gloves, boots, helmet, and integrated bioinformatics and communications. Baseline HS3 assessments were performed during 3-hour EVA simulations in two different subjects (DEMO1 and DEMO2) that included traverses at variable resistances and geological sampling activities. Liquid cooling garment (LCG) temperature, mean skin temperature, heart rate, motion capture, and metabolic rate were collected during each 3-hour simulated EVA. During DEMO1 and DEMO2, baseline metabolic rates at rest were 836 ± 327 BTU/hr and 869 ± 207 BTU/hr and increased to 2124 ± 548 BTU/hr and 2269 ± 559 BTU/hr, respectively, during 500m traverse. Average inlet LCG temperatures were 29.57 ± 6.62 °C and 25.63 ± 6.48 °C for DEMO1 and DEMO2 with increased outlet LCG temperatures of 33.53 ± 6.62 °C and 29.21 ± 4.79 °C, respectively. Overall, HS3 will enable future studies to characterize EVA tasks, human performance, and test future EVA capabilities in analog test environments without the need for pressurized suited environments.

Monica Hew↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing A Hybrid Spacesuit Simulator as A Research Tool for Assessing Extravehicular Activity Relevant Workload

Conducting human tests in a pressurized spacesuit is limited by availability, cost, and manpower; however, pressurized spacesuits are not always needed depending on the objectives of testing, including the development and testing of new informatics capabilities. The Human Physiology, Performance, Protection & Operations Laboratory (H-3PO) at NASA is developing a Hybrid Spacesuit Simulator (HS3) to support testing and characterization of human performance during analog planetary exploration extravehicular activities (EVAs). The goal of HS3 is to create a low-cost, modular, and unpressurized spacesuit simulator as a research tool that provides relevant physical and cognitive workload approximations with EVA-like immersion. HS3 consists of a soft outer suit, thermal control, gloves, boots, helmet, and integrated bioinformatics and communications. Baseline HS3 assessments were performed during 3-hour EVA simulations in two different subjects (DEMO1 and DEMO2) that included traverses at variable resistances and geological sampling activities. Liquid cooling garment (LCG) temperature, mean skin temperature, heart rate, motion capture, and metabolic rate were collected during each 3-hour simulated EVA. During DEMO1 and DEMO2, baseline metabolic rates at rest were 836 ± 327 BTU/hr and 869 ± 207 BTU/hr and increased to 2124 ± 548 BTU/hr and 2269 ± 559 BTU/hr, respectively, during 500m traverse. Average inlet LCG temperatures were 29.57 ± 6.62 °C and 25.63 ± 6.48 °C for DEMO1 and DEMO2 with increased outlet LCG temperatures of 33.53 ± 6.62 °C and 29.21 ± 4.79 °C, respectively. Overall, HS3 will enable future studies to characterize EVA tasks, human performance, and test future EVA capabilities in analog test environments without the need for pressurized suited environments.

Suit simulator↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison of Physical Workload Across Eva-Simulation Analog Environments: Hybrid Space Suit Simulator and Pressurized Suit Testing

NASA conducts research, testing, and training across a variety of analog environments to support characterization of human performance during Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). Time utilizing pressurized suits in an offloaded environment is both limited and expensive, making it challenging to carry out extensive research with these suits. The Human Physiology, Performance, Protection, and Operations (H-3PO) Laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center designed a Hybrid Space Suit Simulator (HS3) as a low-cost, workload approximator and easy access research tool to provide relevant physical and cognitive workloads during simulated EVAs. A pilot study was conducted in a 1g analog environment where six healthy subjects (3 male, 3 female) underwent simulated 5-hour EVAs in the HS3. This study used a COSMED K5 portable metabolic analyzer and a Polar H10 heart rate monitor to evaluate physical workload during the EVAs. For direct comparison, EVA tasks and timelines were modeled after a similar study conducted in pressurized suits (Mark-III spacesuit, n=3 male; small xPGS spacesuit, n=3 female) at NASA’s Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) offloaded to Lunar gravity (1/6 g). The 1g HS3 data demonstrated increased metabolic rate when compared to pressurized, Lunar-offloaded suited simulated EVAs for certain tasks including the kneeling scoop (HS3: 1194±199 BTU/hr, ARGOS: 860±170 BTU/hr, p < 0.05) and 20 lb object relocation (HS3: 1651±136 BTU/hr, ARGOS: 1048±252.8 BTU/hr, p < 0.05), but it did not demonstrate any significant differences in heart rate (p > 0.05). Other simulated EVA tasks, such as a 500 m traverse (HS3: 1431±177 BTU/hr, ARGOS: 1212±294 BTU/hr, p > 0.05), showed similar workload profiles with no significant workload differences between HS3 and ARGOS. The HS3 is a useful research tool for increasing workloads in EVA research without pressurized suits, though it may overestimate workload during certain EVA tasks when used in 1g environments.

Zachary Wusk↗