NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Space Human Factors & Habitability (Ed., 1/19/17)

NOTE: Change in grant number to 80NSSC18K0042 per NSSC information (Ed., 6/12/18)

NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

The report begins with historical information that establishes the context of the research and is followed by a summary of Mars mission planning, from von Braun’s Das Marsprojekt to the present. The report then presents an analysis of 1,125 tasks identified by the research and the cognitive, physical, and social abilities needed by crew members to perform the tasks during a 30-month, conjunction-class expedition. The report concludes with data-driven recommendations concerning equipment, procedures, and crew size and composition. A list of 647 tasks that are likely to be performed during a Gateway mission is presented as an appendix.

The research was conducted for the Human Factors and Behavioral Performance Element, Human Research Program, located at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center. The research addresses the Risk of Inadequate Mission, Process, and Task Design and the Risk of Performance Errors Due to Training Deficiencies during exploration-class space missions by identifying the tasks that will be conducted by human crew during an expedition to Mars and the abilities, skills, and knowledge that will be required of crew members. By focusing on an expedition to Mars, we have considered the extremes of what is possible for human space exploration during the first half of the 21st Century and accommodated the human requirements for missions to asteroids, Cis-Lunar orbit, and a return to the Moon.

The study uses research methods that were developed to analyze the work performed by a variety of civilian and military occupational specialties and is consistent with Human Factors methods. The work began by developing a comprehensive inventory of 1,125 tasks that are likely to be performed during the 12 phases of the first human expeditions to Mars, from launch to landing 30 months later. Sixty subject matter experts (SMEs) rated expedition tasks in terms of (likely) frequency, difficulty to learn, and importance to mission success; a fourth metric was derived by combining the mean ratings of the three dimensions. Seventy-two SMEs placed the physical, cognitive, and social abilities necessary to perform the tasks in order of importance for specialist domains identified by the task analysis. The research team then identified, 1) Abilities, skills, and knowledge that can be retained and generalized across tasks; 2) Optimum training strategies; and 3) Implications for crew size and composition. Study results also led to recommendations concerning equipment, habitats, and procedures for exploration-class space missions. The report describes why the study was conducted, describes the research tasks performed and study results, and concludes with a discussion of operational implications and recommendations based on those results. Appendices present details of the procedures used, a complete list of Mars expedition tasks (by mission phase), a list of tasks that are likely to be performed during expeditions to a Cis-Lunar Gateway, and the names of SMEs who contributed to the study.

Note: The full-mission task inventory presented in the report was developed during a comprehensive review of documentation and concepts of operations. It is understood by the study team that the tasks are based on currently-available information and that the tools, equipment, propulsion methods, and/or other aspects of actual human expeditions to Mars might be different from those described, as a consequence of technological development and evolving Mars Design Reference Missions.

NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Space Human Factors & Habitability (Ed., 1/19/17)

NOTE: Change in grant number to 80NSSC18K0042 per NSSC information (Ed., 6/12/18)

NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

The project began by developing a comprehensive inventory of 1,125 tasks that are likely to be performed during the 12 phases of the first human expedition to Mars, from launch to landing 30 months later. More than 60 subject matter experts (SMEs) rated major categories of expedition tasks in terms of (likely) frequency, difficulty to learn, and importance to mission success; a fourth metric was derived by combining the mean ratings of the three dimensions. SMEs also placed the physical, cognitive, and social abilities necessary for performance of the tasks in order of importance for specialist domains identified by the task analysis. The research team then identified, 1) Abilities, skills, and knowledge that can be retained and generalized across tasks; 2) Optimum training strategies; and 3) Implications for crew size and composition. Study results also led to recommendations concerning equipment, habitats, and procedures for exploration-class space missions. A final report is currently being prepared that describes why the study was conducted, documents the research tasks performed, presents study results, and concludes with a discussion of operational implications and recommendations based on those results. The report includes the Mars expedition task lists and tasks lists for Gateway missions (formerly known as Deep Space Gateway and Lunar Orbital Platform missions).

NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Space Human Factors & Habitability (Ed., 1/19/17)

NOTE: Change in grant number to 80NSSC18K0042 per NSSC information (Ed., 6/12/18)

NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

A comprehensive inventory of Mars Expedition tasks was developed during the previous reporting period. Since then, the inventory was presented in major categories of tasks within each mission phase in an Excel-based data collection form consisting of 16 tabs (tabs are included for Instructions, Assumptions, References, Acronyms, and 12 Mission Phases). Subject matter experts (SMEs) were recruited to rate the task categories in terms of Difficulty, Importance to Mission Success, and Likely Frequency during the first human expedition to Mars. We received more than 60 completed forms and are satisfied that the sample of respondents will be sufficient for data analysis.

The research team also has conducted more than 70 ability card-sort exercises with SMEs. Additional appointments with SMEs have been made and others are pending.

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Space Human Factors & Habitability (Ed., 1/19/17)

NOTE: Change in grant number to NNX16AQ86G by NSSC and grant extended to 8/09/2019, per D. Risin/JSC (Ed., 6/21/17)

Participated in a pre-kickoff teleconference.

Met with NASA HF experts.

Participated in kickoff teleconference.

Began weekly teleconferences with Johnson Space Center (JSC) teammates.

Identified/obtained/reviewed Mars mission planning documents (ongoing).

Extracted Mars mission tasks from planning documents; developed lists by 12 mission segments.

Conducted interviews re Mars tasks at University of North Dakota Space Studies Department.

Received additional medical tasks from JSC team; added launch and landing segments.

Received habitability and computer troubleshooting tasks from JSC team.

Sent task inventory to Dr. Stephen Hoffman for review; received/incorporated his comments.

Requested IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval for task analysis.

Met with JSC team and Dr. Hoffman at HF office, JSC, to discuss task inventory.

Sent task inventory to Astronaut, Dr. Don Pettit, for review.

Received comments from Dr. Pettit: Task lists are comprehensive, but too detailed to rate.

Formatted Excel document to permit evaluation of rating format for survey instrument.

Conducted experiments to estimate time required to rate tasks (difficulty, frequency, importance).

Increased categorization of tasks within each mission segment to reduce rating burden/time.

Sent task inventory to Dr. John Charles for review; response: "...looks like The Martian Behind the Scenes."