Dual rover human habitation field study

For the last 3 years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been testing a pressurized rover prototype in the deserts of Arizona to obtain humanin-the-loop performance data. This year's field trial consisted of operating two rovers simultaneously while embarking on two 7-day flight-like exploration missions. During the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) at Black Point Lava Flow and SP Mountain in Arizona, NASA human factors investigators, in cooperation with other engineers and scientists, collected data on both the daily living and working within and around the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV). Both objective and subjective data were collected using standard human factors metrics. Over 305 h of crew habitability data were recorded during the field trial with 65 elements of habitation examined. Acceptability of the vehicles over the course of the missions was considered satisfactory by the majority of the crews. As with previous testing, habitation was considered acceptable by the crews, but some issues concerning stowage, Waste Containment System (WCS) volume, and sleep curtains need to be considered for redesign for the next generation vehicle. (C) 2012 IAA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.