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Miller, Laura I. "“Almost Astronauts”: Short Stories." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2012. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc115120/.
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In this collection of short stories, I abduct experiences from my own life and take them on an imaginative journey. I experiment with elements of structure and point of view, often incorporating the magical or surreal to amplify the narrator’s internal landscape. As demonstrated in the title story, “Almost Astronauts,” these stories all deal with a sudden and sometimes destructive shift in the narrator’s perspective.
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Katsimbras, Arian Nicholas. "My Mother and Father Were Astronauts." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52954.
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In these lyric-narrative poems, the speaker is under constant threat of violence, trouble, danger, or death, but that death is never realized. Rather, the speaker, much like many of the lives in the desert, not only survives amidst the constant threat of violence, but flourishes because of it; the interior landscape of the speaker, the tenor of the language and syntax, and exterior landscapes implied in these poems are mirror surfaces, and as such, so are we.
Despite the exterior world and relationships being arguably broken down, failed, impoverished, abandoned, etc., these poems gesture toward a sense of redemption, hope, reverence for life, and a kind of holiness that are found in the church of the desert. It has been said that the desert is monotheistic; if this is the case, then the speaker and the lives in these poems, despite being hardened by the desert, sing hymnals that celebrate that faith. There is a church in the wild.<br>Master of Fine Arts
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Burkhart, Katelyn A. "Understanding vertebral fracture risk in astronauts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122344.
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This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.<br>Thesis: Ph. D. in Medical Engineering and Bioastronautics, Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, 2019<br>Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references.<br>In spaceflight, the loss of mechanical loading has detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal system. These muscular changes will likely affect spinal loading, a key aspect of vertebral fracture risk, but no prior studies have examined how spinal loading is affected by long duration spaceflight. Moreover, the effect of spaceflight on vertebral strength has not been determined, despite reports of significant vertebral trabecular bone loss in long-duration astronauts. Thus trunk muscle and vertebral bone changes and their impact on risk of injury following long-duration spaceflight remain unknown. This is of particular concern for NASA's planned Mars missions and return to Earth after prolonged deconditioning. Our lab has developed a musculoskeletal model of the thoracolumbar spine that has been validated for spinal loading, but has not yet been extended to maximal effort activities or full-body simulations.<br>Thus, the overall goal of this work consisted of two main sections: 1) address the knowledge gap regarding spaceflight and post-flight recovery effects on trunk muscle properties, vertebral strength, compressive spine loading and vertebral fracture risk, and 2) extend our musculoskeletal modeling work into maximal effort simulations in an elderly population and create a full-body scaled model to investigate reproducibility of spine loading estimates using opto-electronic motion capture data. Whereas deficits in trunk muscle area returned to normal during on-Earth recovery, spaceflight-induced increases in intramuscular fat persisted in some muscles even years after landing. Similarly, spaceflight led to a decrease in lumbar vertebral strength that did not recover even after multiple years on Earth.<br>To gain insight into the effect of spaceflight on vertebral fracture risk, we created subject-specific musculoskeletal models using an individual's height, weight, sex, muscle measurements, and spine curvature. We found that compressive spine loading was minimally affected by spaceflight and that vertebral fracture risk, calculated as a ratio of vertebral load to strength, was slightly elevated post-flight and remained elevated during readaptation on Earth. Additionally, we focused on the development of additional musculoskeletal modeling tools. Using maximal effort model simulations, we estimated trunk maximum muscle stress in an elderly population, and this critical parameter in musculoskeletal modeling will assist with more detailed model creation. Lastly, we found excellent reliability of spine loading estimations from opto-electronic marker data.<br>by Katelyn A. Burkhart.<br>Ph. D. in Medical Engineering and Bioastronautics<br>Ph.D.inMedicalEngineeringandBioastronautics Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology
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Chang, Man Wai. "'Astronaut' wives : their experiences in Brisbane /." [St. Lucia, Qld], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18069.pdf.
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Sheppard, Margaret A. "The astronaut family and the schools." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp02/NQ33927.pdf.
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Sprung, Heidi. "An exploration of mental strategies of astronauts." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp04/mq26364.pdf.
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Hrůša, Tomáš. "Dojící robot Lely Astronaut jako výhodná investice." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2009. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-72001.
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The aim of the thesis is to investigate an investment profitability of the automatic milking system Lely Astronaut compared to a conventional system using the net present value method. The thesis strongly recommends the automatic system and points out the necessity of following a professional management approach in a farm.
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Gee, Hannah. "Effects of space irradiation on astronaut bodies." Thesis, Boston University, 2013. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/21154.
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Thesis (M.A.) PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.<br>The effects of space irradiation on the cardiovascular systems remain a great mystery. After conducting studies on survivors of the atomic bomb, radiotherapy as a treatment for cancer and other diseases, and health data of astronauts who have participated in short and long duration space missions, the overall conclusion is that ionizing irradiation of any type results in cardiovascular damage. Problems manifest decades after irradiation exposure and the accumulating health complications have led to fatalities. However, little is known about space irradiation and how it affects our bodies. Predictive models that were developed to date were created based on events that have occurred on earth. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) plans for manned missions to the Moon and Mars in the near future. There is a great need for ground-based studies about the effects of cosmic irradiation on the human body. We examined molecular pathways in the heart tissue of adult 7-9 months old mice, an equivalent of middle-age for astronauts (35-55), after receiving a single low dose full body of either 56Fe (iron) or 1H (proton) irradiation + aging of 1, 3, and 10 months. We also investigated mice after 56Fe or 1H irradiation + aging of 1, 3, and 10 months, and 3 days after an induced acute myocardial infarct (AMI). Western blot analyses were performed for proteins involved in cardiac function and cardiac recovery. Results indicated that 56Fe irradiation impaired cardiac function significantly during aging and continued to worsen with age. AMI results were less straightforward. The younger, 56Fe irradiated mice revealed a significant decrease in the expression of proteins associated with survival of cardiac tissue. The older, 1H irradiated mice group revealed a significantly decreased expression of proteins associated with survival of cardiac tissue. The 10 month 56Fe irradiated mice did not show compensatory mechanisms and the cardiac protein expression levels were attributed to aging. While the 10 month 1H irradiated mice compensated and required less repair activation.<br>2031-01-01
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Shih, Chen-Chen. "Adjustment experiences of Taiwanese astronauts' kids in Canada." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape10/PQDD_0019/MQ47095.pdf.
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Mineck, Edward. "Astronauts and Xingu : an exhibition of cultural ideograms /." Online version of thesis, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/1850/11625.
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Schaffner, Grant. "Dynamic analysis of astronaut motions during extravehicular activity." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/49952.
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Aronsson, Liselott. "Som små astronauter : -En idrottslärares berättelse om specialgymnastik i skolan." Thesis, Karlstad University, Karlstad University, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-620.
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<p>The aim of this work is to examine methodologies at remedial lessons for children with weak mobility, in a common Swedish municipal school in an attempt to determine if a connection to theoretical learning exists.</p><p>Kadesjö describes how difficulties in concentration can arise as a result of problems with mobility and perception, and according to Piaget very young children develop cogitation through physical movements. These connections are not news but always current.</p><p>At the meeting with Lasse the question was born whether learning problems in school that are a result of concentration difficulties, could be countered with mobility training.</p><p>By the selection of Life history as method, it’s possible to follow a physical educator's experiences through his 30 years of work, and to some extent even his private life. Experiences and results are notified from a historical perspective from 1976 until 2006.</p><p>He is bringing us on a journey that shows the changes in methodology and results after his contact with Sensomotoriskt Centrum.</p><br><p>Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka metodik vid specialgymnastik för barn med svag motorik i en vanlig svensk kommunal skola för att försöka se om förbindelse finns till teoretisk inlärning.</p><p>Kadesjö beskriver att koncentrationssvårigheter kan uppkomma pga. motoriska och perceptuella svårigheter och enligt Piaget sker det lilla barnets kognitiva utveckling genom rörelser. Samband som inte är nya med ständigt aktuella.</p><p>Vid mötet med Lasse föddes därför undran om det finns möjligheter att avhjälpa inlärningsproblem i skolan som beror på koncentrationssvårigheter, med hjälp av motorisk träning under specialgymnastik.</p><p>Genom valet av livsberättelse som metod ges möjligheten att få följa med en idrottslärare genom hans 30-åriga yrkesliv och i viss mån även privatliv där upplevelser, erfarenheter och resultat delges ur ett historiskt perspektiv från 1976 och fram till 2006. Resan han tar oss med på ger en bild av förändring av metodik och resultat efter kontakten med Sensomotoriskt Centrum.</p>
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Tingstad, Kelly Marie, Stephen Conatser, Amy Douglas, David Roberts, and Jason Troyer. "American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Design/Build/Fly 2012." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/244812.
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Llinares, Dario Alexis. "Idealised masculinity and the cultural mythology of the astronaut." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.511132.
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Rodriguez, Mikaël. "Wireless sensor for the in-vivo monitoring of astronaut health /." Sion, 2008. http://doc.rero.ch/record/10799?ln=fr.
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Bertrand, Pierre J. (Pierre Jean). "Enhancing astronaut mobility through spacesuit kinematics and interactive space outreach." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/104013.
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Thesis: S.M. in Technology and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, Technology and Policy Program, 2016.<br>Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2016.<br>This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.<br>Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 212-225).<br>Human spaceflight programs are facing new challenges rising from the evolution of the exploration agenda, as well as the changing international panel of actors. Planetary exploration missions will require intensive extravehicular activities (EVA). Simultaneously, the design of such missions will increasingly rely on cooperation between several types of actors: international and public/private. Adapting this paradigm shift requires astronauts, both symbols and key elements of human space exploration, to be fully equipped to explore and share their experiences. Consequently, astronaut mobility during the exploration mission, characterized by spacesuit kinematics, as well as astronaut mobility for space public outreach, characterized by the ability to inspire multiple types of people, are critical for the future of human spaceflight. This thesis focuses on these two elements of astronaut mobility: spacesuit motion and public inspiration for human spaceflight. All of the spacesuits currently in use are gas-pressurized and enable a wide range of astronaut performance. However, the pressurization causes an inherent stiffness, leading to astronauts' fatigue, unnecessary energy expenditure and limited mobility in the spacesuit. Better understanding of spacesuit kinematics is crucial to enable future human space exploration during extreme mobility tasks such as climbing, loping and excavating. Different methods are currently used to assess spacesuit mobility, but they are restricted to laboratory settings and do not measure the interactions between the suit and the person inside the suit. The first objective of this research is to develop a novel method to assess spacesuit kinematics and visualize human-spacesuit interactions. Upper body mobility of different suits was assessed by placing inertial measurement units (IMUs) on the person's body and on the outside of the spacesuit. IMUs incorporate accelerometers and gyroscopes to estimate relative rotation. They are mobile and low power, offering an economical and efficient kinematic tracking capability. A comparison of joint angle amplitude between different pressurization conditions and different motions was performed, and a 3D kinematic visualization tool was developed. While space-based technologies for Earth applications are flourishing, space exploration activities suffer from a lack of public awareness as well as decreasing budgets. Recent robotic exploration missions have positively influenced public perception by utilizing video and social media communication. How can these new communication technologies be used to better serve human spaceflight? How can space agencies and astronauts inspire tax-paying citizens, and thus politicians, to commit to an ambitious, global human spaceflight program based on international collaboration? The second part of the research analyzes how astronauts' use of interactive platforms can increase international public interest in human space exploration. An analysis of the Twitter network related to human spaceflight was performed, measuring how influence and relationships are linked, to better capture the best practices.<br>by Pierre J. Bertrand.<br>S.M. in Technology and Policy<br>S.M.
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Stirling, Leia Abigail. "Development of astronaut reorientation methods : a computational and experimental study." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44930.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008.<br>This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.<br>Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-150).<br>Past spaceflight missions have shown that astronauts adapt their motor-control strategies to the microgravity environment. Even though astronauts undergo hundreds of training hours, the strategies for locomotion and orientation are not specifically prescribed. The majority of an astronaut's motion-control strategies are developed underwater. While underwater training can be beneficial in certain aspects, such as learning which orientations an astronaut will encounter and becoming familiar with task timelines, it is not effective for self-learned motor-control strategies. Further, the development of unfamiliar tasks, such as reorienting without external forces, will most likely not occur naturally. Self-rotations -- human-body rotations without external torques -- are not only helpful for reducing adaptation time, but can be a crucial safety countermeasure during extravehicular activity. In this thesis, computational and experimental methods are developed to create and analyze astronaut reorientation methods. The computational development of control methods for human motion planning offers a novel way to provide astronauts with maneuvers that are difficult to obtain experimentally in Earth gravity (1-G). Control of human-body dynamics can be posed as a motion-planning problem for which many different solution methods exist. This research considers two different frameworks -- quantized control and optimal control. The quantized control method permits the development of complete maneuvers that are appropriate for humans to perform in high-stress situations by defining a set of specific finite-time trajectories called motion primitives. The implementation of an optimal control method allows for the refinement and further understanding of maneuver characteristics with an emphasis on how the central nervous system controls motion.<br>(cont.) Human rotation experiments provide further insight into the complexity of self-rotation techniques and a way to study the effects of training in a rigorous and realistic manner.<br>by Leia Abigail Stirling.<br>Ph.D.
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Loday, Sylvie (Sylvie Johanna) 1977. "Electronic architecture and technoogy development of astronaut spaceflight load sensors." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83679.
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Mosa, Areej. "Does Spaceflight Increase the Chance of Female Astronauts Developing Uterine Cancer?" Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3361.
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One of the main questions put forth by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) is whether or not an organism, especially mankind, can complete an entire life cycle in space. With this in mind, it is essential to study the effect of spaceflight on reproductive tissues. Using simulated microgravity techniques and whole-body radiation we sought to determine if females subjected to a simulated spaceflight environment have increased incidences of uterine cancer. Uterine tissue from mice subjected to simulated spaceflight was analyzed using immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. Two pathways commonly activated in cancer were investigated. Additionally, the uterine tissue was evaluated for gross morphological changes using standard histological staining. The findings of this study indicate that none of the treatment parameters used to simulate the spaceflight environment were found to induce uterine cancer.
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Thibault, Karen (Karen Camille) 1975. "Astronaut adaptive arm motions on the MIR Space Station : kinematic analysis." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83678.
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Carey, Alan John. "An Unpowered Exoskeleton to Reduce Astronaut Hand Fatigue during Microgravity EVA." Thesis, University of California, Davis, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10165880.
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<p> Astronaut hand fatigue during Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and EVA training is a critical risk in human space exploration. Improved glove designs over the past forty years have reduced hand fatigue, but limitations of the technology prevent major improvements to reduce hand fatigue. Therefore, a mechanism to assist astronauts by reducing hand fatigue was explored. Many organizations have already developed exoskeletons to assist astronauts, but all mechanisms developed required electrically powered actuators and control systems to enhance grip strength. However, astronauts already possess the strength required to actuate the glove; what is needed is a method to reduce fatigue without introducing electromechanical complexity. A passive mechanical system was developed as a proof-of-concept to test the feasibility of an unpowered exoskeleton to maintain static grip around an object. The semi- rigid nature of an inflated pressure glove provided an ideal substrate to mount a mechanism and associated components to allow an astronaut to release his/her grip inside the glove while maintaining attitude, as the mechanism will keep the glove closed around an object.</p><p> Three prototypes were fabricated and tested to evaluate the architecture. The final two prototypes were tested on a real pressure suit glove at Final Frontier Design (FFD), and the third mechanism demonstrated attachment and basic operating principles. At University of California (UC) Davis, pressure glove analogs were fabricated from a baseball batting glove and polystyrene to simulate a real pressure glove without the risk of testing in a reduced pressure environment (i.e. a glove box). Testing of the third prototype showed a reduction in fatigue as measured by Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) grip force over a 30 second period when the mechanism assisted gripping an object.</p>
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Nezami, A. "The overview effect and counselling psychology : astronaut experiences of earth gazing." Thesis, City, University of London, 2017. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/17938/.
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A significant number of space travellers have reported seeing Earth from orbit or the moon as an awe-inducing experience that is deeply impactful. To date existent research has provided convincing evidence that nature is therapeutic but there is limited research exploring the impact of extraordinary awe inducing natural environments. In order to bridge this gap, this study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore how seven retired National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts experienced Earth gazing from orbit and viewing nature from this perspective. Three main themes emerged: 1) Deeply Impactful Perceptions of Earth, 2) Profound and Unexpected Emotional Impact and, 3) A Space Odyssey. The first theme describes the initial aesthetic observations and the dynamic interaction with the natural world. The second theme describes the emotive impact and noetic contemplation that took place. The final theme represents the embodiment of the experience post-flight. It seems that Earth gazing can strengthen our connection to nature and life, elicit awe, gratitude, humility, and reverence, and enable a sense of social cohesion. These features suggest it can instigate behavioural change and foster wellbeing, and therefore make it relevant to Counselling Psychology. Finally, this study recommends that this experience can be adapted and simulated via positive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), as a green wellbeing intervention at an individual, local, and global level.
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He, Shaojun. "Integration of Multiple Sensors for Astronaut Navigation on The Lunar Surface." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1324496686.
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Schaffner, Grant. "Assessment of hip fracture risk in astronauts exposed to long-term weightlessness." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9371.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Harvard--Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, 2000.<br>"August 1999."<br>Includes bibliographical references.<br>A human exploration mission to Mars could take place within 10 years. During the 6 to 12 month journey astronauts would likely lose bone mineral density (BMD) at a mean rate of 1-2 percent per month in weight-bearing areas, approximately 10 times the rate associated with normal ageing. There exists an important need to quantify the fracture risk associated with this loss. Methods: Using computational modeling, the factor of risk for hip fracture (applied load divided by failure load) was assessed following 0, 6, and 12 months of weightlessness for: 1) the mid-stance phase of gait, and 2) a fall to the side impacting the greater trochanter. Peak applied loading was calculated for Earth and Mars gravity levels using the equations of motion for three-segment models representing locomotion and falls. Mars simulations included extravehicular activity (EVA, with spacesuit) and intravehicular activity (IVA). The structural properties of the femur were analyzed using a three-dimensional finite element model derived from quantitative computed tomography scans of a representative cadaveric femur. Space flight associated changes in density, geometry, and muscle strength were incorporated. Results: Peak applied joint contact force ranges for mid-stance were: 1.2- 2.5 kN (Earth), 0.9-1.8 kN (Mars IVA), and 1.5-2.4 kN (Mars EVA). Peak applied joint contact forces for fall impact were: 4.2-8.0 kN (Earth), 2.7-5.1 kN (Mars IVA), and 3.1-5.0 kN (Mars EVA). Femoral strength in mid-stance decreased from 5.9-6.1 kN (0 months) to 5.1- 5.4 kN (12 months), while femoral strength in fall impact decreased from 4.2-4.4 kN (0 months) to 3.8-4.0 kN (12 months). Typically, the factor of risk for hip fracture was highest for falls in Earth gravity following 12 months of weightlessness (1.12-2.08), and lowest for IVA locomotion in Mars gravity (0.26-0.49). All fall conditions yielded a high likelihood of fracture. Astronauts are advised to take precautions against falling following long duration space flight and could benefit from the temporary use of hip pads.<br>by Grant Schaffner.<br>Ph.D.
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Robinne, Emmanuelle. "Le regime juridique gouvernant la vie et le travail des astronautes dans l'espace /." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=61725.
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Ransan, Maxime Franck. "Design and implementation of a collaborative model for rover-astronaut exploration teams." College Park, Md. : University of Maryland, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/3826.
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Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2006.<br>Thesis research directed by: Dept. of Aerospace Engineering. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.
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ZACONTE, VERONICA. "ALTEA: anomalous long term effects on astronauts on board the international space station." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2108/935.
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In questo lavoro di tesi sarà riportato il lavoro portato avanti sull’esperimento ALTEA durante i miei anni di dottorato.
ALTEA (Anomalouos Long Term Effects on Astronauts) è un progetto finanziato dall’ASI, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana; è un programma multidisciplinare rivolto allo studio degli effetti funzionali della radiazione durante la permanenza umana nello spazio e contemporaneamente rivolto ad ottenere una misura della radiazione ambientale all’interno della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale (ISS). ALTEA è costituito da diversi esperimenti sia a terra che nello spazio.
Il mio coinvolgimento ha riguardato principalmente l’esperimento ALTEA-space di cui ho seguito personalmente i test hardware, le calibrazioni su fascio e l’analisi dei dati di volo.
Dopo una introduzione sull’ambiente spaziale e una breve descrizione dei principali effetti dell’esposizione a radiazione, riportate nel capitolo 1, nel capitolo 2 è presentato il programma ALTEA, con i suoi obiettivi scientifici e i differenti esperimenti che lo compongono. La facility ALTEA-space è descritta invece nel capitolo 3.
Nel 4 capitolo è riportata una semplice simulazione utilizzata per il calcolo del flusso di particelle atteso all’interno della ISS.
Nei capitoli successivi è per primo descritto tutto lo studio da me effettuato per verificare le performances e le caratteristiche del rivelatore ed in seguito vengono descritte le due sessioni di test eseguite all’acceleratore di particelle del GSI per testare e calibrare il modello di test (TM) e il modello di volo (FM) dell’apparato. Questo lavoro preliminare è stato completato con l’analisi dei dati acquisiti a terra dal modello di volo di ALTEA con tutti i sottosistemi accesi.
Dopo la consegna dell’hardware di ALTEA-space a NASA, ho contribuito alla configurazione ed installazione dell’ALTEA User Home Base (UHB) dove vengono ricevuti tutti i dati di volo e da dove sono effettuate le comunicazioni verso NASA a supporto delle operazioni di volo. Prima dell’inizio della missione ho partecipato alle simulazioni NASA volte a familiarizzare con le operazioni di volo.
ALTEA è stata finalmente portata a bordo della Stazione Spaziale Internazionale all’interno della missione Shuttle STS-121 il 4 Luglio 2006; nell’ultimo capitolo di questa tesi è descritto lo stato attuale delle operazioni di volo e sono presentati i risultati dell’analisi condotta sui primi dati raccolti sulla ISS. In questa tesi sono stati analizzati circa tre mesi di dati e i primi risultati includono tra gli altri lo studio del flusso di particelle, I differenti flussi rivelati dai sei rivelatori di particelle e un primo calcolo delle abbondanze nucleari relative.
Ho infine contribuito a realizzare e a testare gli strumenti software di preprocessamento e di analisi dei dati usati sia per i dati di calibrazione che per i dati di volo. Questi strumenti sono stati sviluppati utilizzando diversi linguaggi di programmazione (C, VC++, VB, IDL).<br>In this thesis I summarized the work carried out on ALTEA experiment during my PhD years.
ALTEA (Anomalouos Long Term Effects on Astronauts) is a project funded by ASI, the Italian Space Agency; it is a multidisciplinary program devoted to investigate the functional effects of radiation during man permanences in space and concurrently to get a measure of radiation environment inside the International Space Station. It is constitued by several experiments both gorund-based and in space.
I was mainly involved in the ALTEA-space experiment and I followed the hardware functioning tests, the calibration and the analysis of flight data.
After an overview of space environment and a brief description of the main effects of radiation exposure, reported in the first chapter, the Altea program is presented with its scientific goals and the different experiments that it includes. In particular the ALTEA-space facility is described in the third chapter.
In the fourth chapter a simple simulation to calculate the expected particle flux inside the ISS will be presented.
In the following chapters, first of all the study I performed to verify the detector performances and characteristics is described, then the two session tests carried out at the GSI accelerator in order to test and calibrate the Flight Model and the Test Model of the device. This preliminary work was completed with the analysis of the files acquired on ground with all ALTEA Flight Model subsystems active.
After ALTEA-space hardware was delivered to NASA, I contributed to asses the ALTEA User Home Base (UHB), where operation data are collected and the communications with NASA take place. Before the start of the mission operation I partecipated to the NASA simulations aimed at the reproduction of flight operations.
ALTEA was finally brought on board the International Space Station within the STS-121 Shuttle mission on the July the 4th 2006; in the last chapter of this thesis the actual flight operations are described and the results of analysis performed on the first scientific data gathered onboard ISS are showed. About three month data were analyzed in this thesis and the first results include, among others, the study of the particle rate, the different particle fluxes measured by the six particle detectors and the first calculation of relative nuclear abundances.
I contributed to realize and test pre-processing and analysis tools used both for calibration and for flight operations. These tools were developed using several programming languages (C, VC++, VB, IDL).
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SEYED, MOUSAVI MOHAMAD MEHDI. "DESIGN AND REALIZATION OF A FINGER EXOSKELETON FOR ASTRONAUTS EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EVA) GLOVE." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2506466.
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During the last decades the number of human space missions has increased significantly. In many of these missions, astronauts are sent to space in order to carry out some specific tasks like installation of different units or parts to the international space station and/or repair and maintenance of its different parts. In order to do these tasks, astronauts have to go outside of the spacecraft. All the activities that astronauts perform outside of the spacecraft are called Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). To do EVA, astronauts have to be protected from dangerous condition of space.
Some outstanding elements that distinguish the space environment and make it dangerous are radiation, zero pressure and micrometeoroids. These elements are very harmful for human being and in order to protect human body from this harsh condition, astronauts have to wear a specific suit when they go out of the spacecraft to do EVA. Astronaut’ space suit is designed to protect astronauts from this harsh environment.
The thickness of a spacesuit is approximately 3/16 inches (4.8 mm) and it is fabricated by sewing and cementing 11 layers of different materials. Moreover, some metal parts are used to join different parts of the suit together. In addition, the spacesuit has to be pressurized internally in order to compensate the vacuum of the space and keep astronaut alive. This heavy, thick and multilayer suit prevents astronauts moving their body easily.
This is also true for the astronauts’ gloves. Due to the bulk and stiffness of this glove, so called Extravehicular Activity (EVA) glove, many problems occur during their missions outside the spacecraft. Hand fatigue, dexterity reduction of the fingers and consequently decrease of possible EVA hours are some of these problems. Several solutions have already been proposed to solve the problem. One approach tries to decrease this stiffness by adopting a suit with Mechanical Counter Pressure (MCP) instead of gas (oxygen) pressure. Other solutions attempt to overcome the existing stiffness of the gloves by means of external devices such as hand exoskeletons which support human fingers during flexion.
Here a comprehensive research regarding the second solution is performed. In other words, overcoming the stiffness of the astronauts EVA glove by means of an external device is investigated. Therefore, in the first chapter the problem is explained completely and in the second chapter the possible solutions are evaluated. State of the art in this field is also discussed in this chapter.
The main stream of discussion starts in chapter three. Evaluation of the EVA glove effects on the hand performance is explained in this chapter followed by measuring the stiffness of the EVA glove in chapter four. Study of the kinematics of the finger joints is covered in chapter five. In chapter six, a test bed is designed and realized to simulate the stiffness of the EVA glove and finally design of two compatible structures for this application is explained in chapter seven.
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Ferguson, Philip Andrew 1976. "Quantifying and modelling adaptive astronaut movement : motion strategies for long-duration spaceflight missions." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36176.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2006.<br>Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-223) and index.<br>Past spaceflight experience has shown that astronauts adapt their motor control strategies to microgravity movements after approximately four weeks of microgravity exposure. A similar (but typically shorter) re-adaptation period is required upon return to Earth or partial gravity environment such as the Moon or Mars. During these adaptation periods, astronaut performance is considerably degraded and can lead to falls and mission-threatening injuries. This dissertation describes a research program to quantitatively study the dynamics and control aspects of human motor control adaptation to a spectrum of gravity environments. The key hypotheses of this research were that a) locomotor control adaptation could be observed following short exposure (on the order of hours) to a different dynamic environment and b) the observed adaptation could be predicted using a single model that applied to a spectrum of gravitational environments. Experiments were conducted on a 1-G air-bearing floor microgravity simulator and underwater to provide contrasting dynamic and gravitational environments. Subjects performed leg push-offs and hand landings to demonstrate their control strategies as they adapted.<br>(cont.) Forces and moments from the push-offs and landings were recorded using 6-axis force-moment sensors. Joint angles were measured using a kinematic video analysis system. A suite of dynamic estimation filters was written to combine the kinetic and kinematic data. Experimental results showed significant motor control adaptation to the air-bearing floor experiments, evidenced by reduced peak push-off forces and increased sensor contact times. A model based on Golgi tendon organ (GTO) force feedback was proposed to predict the observed adaptation. Comparisons between the experimental data and the model predictions indicate that the GTO adaptation model can adequately predict the observed adaptation.<br>by Philip Andrew Ferguson.<br>Ph.D.
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Brcic, Jelena. "Universal values, coping strategies, and motive images of astronauts at the International Space Station." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/12344.
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Value hierarchies, coping patterns, and motivations of International Space Station (ISS) astronauts were examined in the present set of studies. Thematic content analysis was applied for references to above psychosocial markers in narratives (media interviews, journals, and oral histories) of 46 astronauts from the ISS expeditions. Results revealed that the five most mentioned universal values were identified as Achievement, Security, Benevolence, Universalism, and Self Direction. In regards to coping strategies, astronauts are more likely to use problem-oriented than emotion-oriented strategies. The top three coping strategies astronauts relied on were Seeking Social Support, Planful Problem Solving, and reference to Luck. In addition, astronauts were most likely to seek support in the form of personal information from their crew and ground control. Astronauts were most likely to be motivated by Achievement followed by Affiliation and Power. The role of leadership aboard the station was also examined. It was concluded that commanders were most likely assuming the supportive leadership role. The findings have important implications in understanding crew relations prior to and during the mission.
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Lewis, H. G. "PCAP module 2 in-depth study report : reflections on peer-assessment in astronautics group work." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2005. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/23734/.
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Aponte, Vanessa M. "Development and analysis of a novel cytokine biosensor concept for astronaut immune system monitoring." Diss., Connect to online resource, 2006. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3219037.
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Assad, Albert. "Model of medical supply demand and astronaut health for long-duration human space flight." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47867.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-60).<br>The medical care of space crews is the primary limiting factor in the achievement of long-duration space missions. (Nicogossian 2003) The goal of this thesis was to develop a model of long-duration human space flight astronaut health and a medical supply demand model in support of such missions. This model will be integrated into an existing comprehensive interplanetary supply chain management and logistics architecture simulation and optimization tool, SpaceNet. The model provides two outputs, Alphah and Mass, for each set of input variables. Alphah is an estimate of crew health and is displayed as a percentage. Mass is a measure of medical consumables expended during the mission and is displayed in kilograms. We have demonstrated that Alphah is a function of three scaling parameters, the type of mission, duration of mission, and gender of crew. The type of mission and gender are linked to radiation fatality data published by NASA and mission duration correlates to predicted incidence of illness and injury and linked to the model through published US Navy submarine crew medical data. The mass of medical consumables (MMC) expended increases with the number of crew, the duration of the mission and the distance of the mission away from the earth. The degree of medical expertise on-board is not necessarily related to a change in consumption of medical supplies but perhaps to a better outcome for the individual infirmed crew member.<br>(cont.) We have determined that there is no information to incorporate gender into this aspect of the model and that the ages of the crewmembers would also have a negligible effect. Risk was investigated as an additional independent driver in the calculations. This parameter defined as likelihood of a medical event multiplied by impact to the mission, is in line with current NASA planning processes. Although the equations don't currently incorporate this parameter, implementation in subsequent versions of the model would allow for a more granular description of medical supply mass (i.e. laboratory and diagnostic, imaging, medications, surgical supplies, telemedicine and expert systems equipment) needed to support long-duration human operations in space. The framework of SpaceNet does not currently allow for this level of detail but future version of the software would likely develop and integrate this capability.<br>by Albert Assad.<br>S.M.
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Shubentsov, Ilya. "Relationship between astronaut head motion and space motion sickness on Spacelabs 1 and D1." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/39359.
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Rize, Jared Philip. "Simulation development and analysis of attitude-control system architectures for an astronaut mobility unit." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90790.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2014.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 135-136).<br>Control-moment gyroscopes (CMGs) are spacecraft attitude-control actuators which control the spacecraft's orientation and pointing. CMGs operate on electrical power and therefore obey the the conservation of angular momentum. Single-gimbal CMGs are equipped with a high-speed flywheel which can be gimbaled to impart gyroscopic torques. The net reaction torques are observed by the spacecraft resulting in pure rotation. A CMG based attitude control system (ACS) is favorable compared to a cold gas thruster ACS because of fundamental differences in how the reaction torques are produced. CMGs provide a continuous range of motion while RCS thrusters are limited by the minimum on-off time for the thruster valves. This minimum open-close time leads to a bang-bang response as opposed to the smoother CMG response. Furthermore, CMGs are powered using batteries and can therefore be recharged, while RCS thrusters use propellant which depletes over time. CMG sizing, the act of designing and choosing the electrical and mechanical parameters for a given spacecraft ACS, is studied in this thesis. The CMG sizing tool analyzes the specific system configuration (i.e. mass properties, thruster location and placement, CMG architecture, etc.) and the mission and system requirements to provide an "idealized" CMG model. Detailed simulation results and recommendations are presented for the design and analysis of the Mobility Augmenting Jetpack with Integrated CMGs (MAJIC) system. The CMG sizing software acts as a parametric tool which can be adopted to any spacecraft system.<br>by Jared Philip Rize.<br>S.M.
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Neimark, Matthew A. (Matthew Aaron). "Microgravity induced changes in horiztonal vestibulo-ocular reflexes of SLS-1 & SLS-2 astronauts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42791.
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Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1997.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-46).<br>by Matthew A. Neimark.<br>M.Eng.
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L'Archevêque, Régent. "Utilisation de la réalite virtuelle dans l'entraînement des astronautes pour la construction de la station spatiale internationale." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ38688.pdf.
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EL, KHOURY ZEINA. "Protocole d'exercices dans la prevention de l'osteoporose, les immobilises au long cours, le vieillard et les astronautes." Saint-Etienne, 1988. http://www.theses.fr/1988STET6067.
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Pouliot, Christopher Francis. "Changes in the horizontal angular vestibulo-ocular reflex of SLS-2 space shuttle astronauts due to weightlessness." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47374.
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Dopart, Celena (Celena Hensley). "Astronaut-centric analysis of a jetpack with integrated control-moment gyroscopes for enhanced extravehicular activity performance." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90660.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2014.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 109-111).<br>As a stepping-stone towards eventual human exploration of Mars, NASA plans to explore low-gravity objects. Since the surface environments encountered on such missions would limit the independent mobility of astronauts, a maneuvering unit that offers counter reaction forces and torques during movements and tasks will likely be required. The next-generation maneuvering and stability system proposed in this research incorporates control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) into an extravehicular activity (EVA) jetpack device currently being considered at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). This Mobility Augmenting Jetpack with Integrated CMGs (MAJIC) system will offer rigid attitude control not previously required for EVA tasks. This research project was designed to: (1) assess EVA task motions, astronaut dynamics, and mission concepts to support the objective comparison of the original jets-only Jetpack system and MAJIC, and (2) analyze the performance of both systems based on user evaluations of the two control configurations. An EVA task list with associated motions and tools was compiled to develop a relevant mission concept of operations that would inform the subsequent research objectives. A method for analyzing astronaut dynamics during these EVA tasks was developed and used to compare system stability of the proposed (CMG-augmented) vs. current (jets-only) control systems. The combined astronaut dynamics and controls models formed a full simulation that was integrated into a Virtual Reality (VR) environment at JSC to offer a platform for two human evaluations comparing the proposed and current control systems. Although computational analyses demonstrated increased attitude stability and decreased fuel consumption consistently across all missions and EVA tasks, results from the user evaluations were mixed. In the preliminary user evaluation, users showed overwhelming preference for MAJIC during worksite EVA tasks that incorporated astronaut motions, but no trend for piloted missions that did not incorporate astronaut motions. The results of the follow-up user evaluation indicate that benefits of MAJIC are more pronounced in certain mission scenarios, including ones in which mass and moment of inertia properties are increased (e.g. when tools are used). Future work should explore these mission scenarios further and continue development of motion capture capabilities to include full-body actuation and contact models within the virtual reality environment.<br>by Celena Dopart.<br>S.M.
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Losik, Len. "Using Telemetry to Measure Equipment Mission Life on the NASA Orion Spacecraft for Increasing Astronaut Safety." International Foundation for Telemetering, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/581640.
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ITC/USA 2012 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Eighth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2012 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California<br>The surprise failure of two NASA Space Shuttles and the premature failures of satellite subsystem equipment on NASA satellites are motivating NASA to adopt an engineering discipline specifically developed for preventing surprise equipment failures. The NASA Orion spacecraft is an Apollo module-like capsule planned to replace the NASA Space Shuttle reusable launch vehicle for getting astronauts to space and return to the earth safely as well as a crew escape vehicle stored at the ISS. To do so, NASA is adopting a non-Markov reliability paradigm for measuring equipment life based on the prognostic and health management program on the Air Force F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The decision is based on the results from the prognostic analysis completed on the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia that identified the information that was present but was ignored for a variety of reasons prior to both accidents. The goal of a PHM is to produce equipment that will not fail prematurely and includes using predictive algorithms to measure equipment usable life. Equipment with transient behavior, missed by engineering analysis is caused from accelerated of parts will fail prematurely with 100% certainty. With the processing speed of today's processors, transient behavior is caused from at least one part suffering from accelerated aging. Transient behavior is illustrated in equipment telemetry in a prognostic analysis but not in an engineering analysis. Telemetry is equipment performance information and equipment performance has been used to increase reliability, but performance is unrelated to equipment remaining usable life and so equipment should be failing prematurely. A PHM requires equipment telemetry for analysis and so analog telemetry will be available from all Orion avionics equipment. Replacing equipment with a measured remaining usable life of less than one year will stop the premature and surprise equipment failures from occurring during future manned and unmanned space missions.
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Losik, Len. "Using Telemetry to Measure Equipment Mission Life on the NASA Orion Spacecraft for Increasing Astronaut Safety." International Foundation for Telemetering, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/595658.
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ITC/USA 2011 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Seventh Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2011 / Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada<br>The surprise failure of two NASA Space Shuttles and the premature failures of satellite subsystem equipment on NASA satellites are motivating NASA to adopt an engineering discipline that uses telemetry specifically developed for preventing surprise equipment failures. The NASA Orion spacecraft is an Apollo module-like capsule planned to replace the NASA Space Shuttle reusable launch vehicle for getting astronauts to space and return to the earth safely as well as a crew escape vehicle stored at the ISS. To do so, NASA is adopting a non-Markov reliability paradigm for measuring equipment life based on the prognostic and health management program on the Air Force F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The decision is based on the results from the prognostic analysis completed on the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia that identified the information that was present but was ignored for a variety of reasons. The goal of a PHM is to produce equipment that will not fail prematurely. It includes using predictive algorithms to measure equipment usable life. Equipment with transient behavior caused from accelerated of parts will fail prematurely with 100% certainty. For many decades, it was believed that test equipment and software used to in testing and noise from communications equipment were the cause of most transient behavior. With the processing speed of today's processors, transient behavior is caused from at least one part suffering from accelerated aging. Transient behavior is illustrated in equipment telemetry in a prognostic analysis. Telemetry is equipment performance information and equipment performance has been used to increase reliability, but performance is unrelated to equipment remaining usable life and so equipment should be failing prematurely. A PHM requires equipment telemetry for analysis and so analog telemetry will be available from all Orion avionics equipment. Replacing equipment with a measured remaining usable life of less than one year will stop the premature and surprise equipment failures from occurring during future manned and unmanned space missions.
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Sridhar, Siddharth. "Spacesuit and Portable Life Support System Center of Gravity Influence on Astronaut Kinematics, Exertion and Efficiency." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1447690750.
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Opperman, Roedolph A. (Roedolph Adriaan). "Astronaut Extravehicular Activity : safety, injury & countermeasures; &, Orbital collisions & space debris : incidence, impact & international policy." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62498.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and, (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2010.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-161).<br>Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuits are a key enabling technology which allow astronauts to survive and work in the harsh environment of space. Of the entire spacesuit, the gloves may perhaps be considered the most difficult engineering design issue. A significant number of astronauts sustain hand and shoulder injuries during extravehicular activity (EVA) training and operations. In extreme cases these injuries lead to fingernail delamination (onycholysis) or rotator cuff tears and require medical or surgical intervention. In an effort to better understand the causal mechanisms of injury, a study consisting of modeling, statistical and experimental analyses was performed in section I of this thesis. A cursory musculoskeletal modeling tool was developed for use in comparing various spacesuit hard upper torso designs. The modeling effort focuses on optimizing comfort and range of motion of the shoulder joint within the suit. The statistical analysis investigated correlations between the anthropometrics of the hand and susceptibility to injury. A database of 192 male crewmembers' injury records and anthropometrics was sourced from NASA's Johnson Space Center. Hand circumference and width of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint were found to be significantly associated with injuries by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Experimental testing was conducted to characterize skin blood flow and contact pressure inside the glove. This was done as part of NASA's effort to evaluate a hypothesis that fingernail delamination is caused by decreasing blood flow in the finger tips due to compression of the skin inside the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) glove. The initial investigation consisted of a series of skin blood flow and contact pressure tests of the bare finger, and showed that blood flow decreased to approximately 60% of baseline value with increasing force, however, this occurred more rapidly for finger pads (4N) than for finger tips (ION). A gripping test of a pressure bulb using the bare hand was also performed at a moderate pressure of 13.33kPa (100mmHg) and at a high pressure of 26.66kPa (200mmHg), and showed that blood flow decreased 50% and 45%, respectively. Excessive hyperperfusion was observed for all tests following contact force or pressure, which may also contribute to the onset of delamination. Preliminary data from gripping tests inside the EMU glove in a hypobaric chamber at NASA's Johnson Space Center show that skin blood flow decreased by 45% and 40% when gripping at 3 moderate and high pressures, respectively. These tests show that finger skin blood flow is significantly altered by contact force/pressure, and that occlusion is more sensitive when it is applied to the finger pad than the finger tip. Our results indicate that the pressure on the finger pads required to articulate stiff gloves is more likely to impact blood flow than the pressure on the fingertips associated with tight or ill-fitting gloves. Improving the flexibility of the gloves will therefore not only benefit operational performance, but may also be an effective approach in reducing the incidence of finger injury. Space Policy Abstract EVA injury is only one of many dangers astronauts face in the extreme environment of space. Orbital debris presents a significant threat to astronaut safety and is a growing cause of concern. Since the dawn of satellites in the early 1950's, space debris from intentionally exploded spacecraft, dead satellites, and on-orbit collisions has significantly increased and currently outnumbers operational space hardware. Adding to this phenomenon, the advent of commercial spaceflight and the recent space activities in China and India to establish themselves as spacefairing nations are bound to accelerate the rate of space debris accumulating in low Earth orbit, thus, exacerbating the problem. The policies regulating orbital debris were drafted in the 1960s and 1970s and fail to effectively address the dynamic nature of the debris problem. These policies are not legally enforced under international law and implementation is entirely voluntary. Space debris is a relevant issue in international space cooperation. Unless regulated, some projections indicate space debris will reach a point of critical density, after which the debris will grow exponentially, as more fragments are generated by collisions than are removed by atmospheric drag. Space debris proliferation negatively impacts human spaceflight safety, presents a hazard to orbiting space assets, and may lead to portions of near-Earth orbit becoming inaccessible, thus limiting mission operations. The aim of this research effort was to review current international space policy, legislation and mitigation strategies in light of two recent orbital collision episodes. The first is the February 2009 collision between a defunct Russian Cosmos spacecraft and a commercial Iridium satellite. The second is China's display of technological prowess during the January 2007 intentional demolition of its inactive Fengyun-IC weather satellite using a SC-19 antisatellite (ASAT) missile. In each case the stakeholders, politics, policies, and consequences of the collision are analyzed. The results of this analysis as well as recommendations for alternative mitigation and regulatory strategies are presented.<br>by Roedolph A. Opperman.<br>S.M.in Technology and Policy<br>S.M.
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King, James Allen. "Application of H(infinity) optimal control to large space structures." Ohio : Ohio University, 1990. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1183649698.
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Gardner, Elvert L. ""Sowing seeds in barren soil" : why space power theory just won't grow /." Maxwell AFB, Ala. : School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, 2008. https://www.afresearch.org/skins/rims/display.aspx?moduleid=be0e99f3-fc56-4ccb-8dfe-670c0822a153&mode=user&action=downloadpaper&objectid=27104bd2-feb9-40b4-87ff-0bc531c869db&rs=PublishedSearch.
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Esper, Jennifer Eileen. "A study of International Space Station ground/crew communication methods with applications to human Moon and Mars missions." Master's thesis, Mississippi State : Mississippi State University, 2007. http://sun.library.msstate.edu/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-04052007-100431.
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Perry, David R. "Multi-national cooperation in space operations." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 2005. http://library.nps.navy.mil/uhtbin/hyperion/05Jun%5FPerry.pdf.
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Gibson, Alison Eve. "The Design, development, and analysis of a wearable, multi-modal information presentation device to aid astronauts in obstacle avoidance during surface exploration." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/113746.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2017.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-158).<br>The future of human space exploration will involve extra-vehicular activities (EVA) on foreign planetary surfaces (i.e. Mars), an activity that will have significantly different characteristics than exploration scenarios on Earth. These activities become challenging due to restricted vision and limitations placed on sensory feedback from altered gravity and the space suit. The use of a bulky, pressurized EVA suit perceptually disconnects human explorers from the hostile environment, increasing navigation workload and risk of collision associated with traversing through unfamiliar terrain. Due to the hazardous nature of this work, there is a critical need to design interfaces for optimizing task performance and minimizing risks; in particular, an information presentation device that can aid in obstacle avoidance during surface exploration and way-finding. Multi-modal displays are being considered as cues to multiple sensory modalities enhance cognitive processing through taking advantage of multiple sensory resources, and are believed to communicate risk more efficiently than unimodal cues. This thesis presents a wearable multi-modal interface system to examine human performance when visual, vibratory, and visual-vibratory cues are provided to aid in ground obstacle avoidance. The wearable system applies vibrotactile cues to the feet and visual cues through augmented reality glasses to convey obstacle location and proximity. An analysis of obstacle avoidance performance with the multi-modal device was performed with human subjects in a motion capture space. Metrics included completion time, subjective workload, head-down time, collisions, as well as gait parameters. The primary measures of performance were collision frequency and head-down time, as these both must be minimized in an operational environment. Results indicate that information displays enhance task performance, with the visual-only display promoting the least head-down time over tactile-only or visual-tactile displays. Head-down time was the highest for trials without a display. Results provide implications for presenting information during physically active tasks such as suited obstacle avoidance.<br>by Alison Eve Gibson.<br>S.M.
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Dong, Xiongjie. "A ZigBee-based wireless biomedical sensor network as a precursor to an in-suit system for monitoring astronaut state of health." Thesis, Kansas State University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/18285.
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Master of Science<br>Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering<br>Steven Warren<br>Networks of low-power, in-suit, wired and wireless health sensors offer the potential to
track and predict the health of astronauts engaged in extra-vehicular and in-station
activities in zero- or reduced- gravity environments. Fundamental research questions
exist regarding (a) types and form factors of biomedical sensors best suited for these
applications, (b) optimal ways to render wired/wireless on-body networks with the
objective to draw little-to-no power, and (c) means to address the wireless transmission
challenges offered by a spacesuit constructed from layers of aluminized mylar.
This thesis addresses elements of these research questions through the implementation of
a collection of ZigBee-based wireless health monitoring devices that can potentially be
integrated into a spacesuit, thereby providing continuous information regarding astronaut
fatigue and state of health. Wearable biomedical devices investigated for this effort
include electrocardiographs, electromyographs, pulse oximeters, inductive
plethysmographs, and accelerometers/gyrometers. These ZigBee-enabled sensors will
form the nodes of an in-suit ZigBee Pro network that will be used to (1) establish
throughput requirements for a functional in-suit network and (2) serve as a performance
baseline for future devices that employ ultra-low-power field-programmable gate arrays
and micro-transceivers. Sensor devices will upload data to a ZigBee network coordinator
that has the form of a pluggable USB connector. Data are currently visualized using
MATLAB and LabVIEW.