While recent analog studies through the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) have evaluated comm delay effects on performance, much of this work has been completed in context of a Mars mission with comm delay on the order of minutes, not seconds. In these past comm delay studies, findings have shown detrimental effects on individual well-being and performance, team and multi-team cohesion and performance, and family connectedness. Effects have been found across a range of tasks (i.e., nominal, maintenance, extravehicular activities (EVAs), troubleshooting, contingency, and medical/emergency), but again, not investigated at a lunar comm delay.

NASA experts have also stated that current countermeasures will not be effective in beyond low Earth orbit (BLEO); for example, the VSee videoconferencing software used for private medical conferences does not work with current projected comm delay latencies, and remote guidance can be significantly more difficult. The current engineering paradigm relies on ground expertise and real-time communication for most analysis and repair activities, which will not be possible with lunar operations. Later Artemis missions will involve many planned team tasks that are dangerous and complex, such as EVAs, which are currently closely monitored and coordinated from Earth. Longer duration lunar missions may also see cumulative effects of comm delay frustrations; and comm quality declines disrupt shared mental models and space-to-ground cohesion. However, we do not understand where “breaking points” exist for different space-to-ground team operations and when well-being and team cohesion will be significantly decremented. It is critical we examine the impact of lunar comm delays on team performance and cohesion as the Artemis missions take us back to the Moon.

The research team designed an experimental protocol to test the performance and problem-solving of a crewmember/flight controller team collaborating to perform realistic spaceflight tasks under different levels of communication delay. Seven interactive prototypes were developed for the study, using Axure prototyping software. The 7 prototypes provided 6 unique task experiences for each of the 6 communication delay conditions (0,4,6,8,10,12), plus one slightly different prototype for the flight controller participant. The experimental prototypes were developed to be high-fidelity replicas of spacecraft displays. The tasks and associated procedures were also high fidelity and consisted of realistic nominal and off-nominal computer-based display tasks (i.e., fault resolution and procedure issues). In addition to video recording each participant’s displays, the prototypes provided automated data collection capability (i.e., click recording and timing). In addition to the prototypes, Qualtrics surveys were developed to collect demographic and background information, as well as to collect self-reported ratings of workload, team processes, shared mental models, comm quality, delay frustration, individual and team performance, autonomy and reliance on MCC, and cohesion, as well as repeated baseline measures of mood, stress, and fatigue. Objective measures of team task performance include number of errors, time to complete, and percent of objectives completed. Communication quantity metrics include number of words and messages sent.

Experimental sessions began in November 2024. Each participant will complete six different sessions, separated by approximately 2 weeks; thus, subject running will continue over the next few months. We plan to continue data collection sessions on our planned 20 pairs, conduct analyses, and write up the results before the next/final reporting period.

While recent analog studies through the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) have evaluated comm delay effects on performance, much of this work has been completed in context of a Mars mission with comm delay on the order of minutes, not seconds. In these past comm delay studies, findings have shown detrimental effects on individual well-being and performance, team and multi-team cohesion and performance, and family connectedness. Effects have been found across a range of tasks (i.e., nominal, maintenance, extravehicular activities (EVAs), troubleshooting, contingency, and medical/emergency), but again, not investigated at a lunar comm delay.

NASA experts have also stated that current countermeasures will not be effective in beyond low Earth orbit (BLEO); for example, the VSee videoconferencing software used for private medical conferences does not work with current projected comm delay latencies, and remote guidance can be significantly more difficult. The current engineering paradigm relies on ground expertise and real-time communication for most analysis and repair activities, which will not be possible with lunar operations. Later Artemis missions will involve many planned team tasks that are dangerous and complex, such as EVAs, which are currently closely monitored and coordinated from Earth. Longer duration lunar missions may also see cumulative effects of comm delay frustrations; and comm quality declines disrupt shared mental models and space-to-ground cohesion. However, we do not understand where “breaking points” exist for different space-to-ground team operations and when well-being and team cohesion will be significantly decremented. It is critical we examine the impact of lunar comm delays on team performance and cohesion as the Artemis missions take us back to the Moon.