Projects

Enhancement & Verification of Countermeasure Analysis Tools for Human Exploration Missions

Abstract

As spaceflight missions increase in both duration and complexity, responses to environmental changes become a crucial focus for astronaut health and success. For long-term human spaceflight to the Moon or Mars, new smaller exercise equipment used for countermeasures for issues such as bone density loss, muscle atrophy and decreased aerobic capacity will need to be designed. Paired with these exercise devices, a vibration isolation system (VIS) will also need to be developed in order to prevent cyclic exercise forces from impacting the space vehicle. The proposed project seeks to study the human response (kinematics and kinetics) to ground perturbations in order to inform computational modeling of human exercise used to determine vibration isolation system (VIS) parameters and design considerations for long term human space flight.