Enhancing Performance and Communication for Distributed Teams During Lunar Spacewalks
Susannah Paletz is one of 6 “co-I’s” of a new NASA grant, with PI Jessica Marquez of the NASA Ames Research Center. The 5-year, $1.5M grant ($262K UMD), will look at how to improve communications, mitigate risks, and enhance performance by the teams that supervise and direct astronauts during spacewalks. These teams face challenges such as communication delays, increased cognitive demands, and an increasingly distributed team.
NASA’s current human systems integration architecture relies on mission control teams to supervise and direct astronauts during spacewalks, and relies on continuous, real-time video feeds to maintain crew safety and operational success. Artemis EVAs present new challenges, including communication delays, increased cognitive demands, and an increasingly distributed team. This proposal characterizes and mitigates risks associated with upcoming Artemis missions by developing and validating communication countermeasures to effectively enhance multi-team EVA performance. We will evaluate the impact of communication delay, information management, and shifting roles on team process and performance within a distributed multi-team EVA in HERA. We will develop and validate countermeasures to enable effective communication, facilitate EVA resource management, and enhance overall team performance.
Duration:
10/01/2024 - 09/30/2029
Additional Non-UMD Investigator(s):
Dr. Jessica Marquez of NASA Ames Research Center; Suzanne Bell, NASA Johnson Space Center; Lauren Landon, KBR, Inc.; Matthew Miller, Jacobs Technology, Inc.; Paramita Mitra, NASA Johnson Space Center; John Karasinksi, NASA Ames Research Center
Project Website:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-funds-studies-to-support-crew-performance-on-long-duration-missions/
- Other Federal - NASA - Johnson Space Center
Total Award Amount:
$262,001.00