Skylab task and work performance (experiment M-151--time and motion study)

Area of Science:

• Human physiology and performance in space environments.
• Space exploration and astronaut training.
• Human factors engineering in microgravity.

Background:

• Skylab crewmen's adaptation to the unique working and living conditions of the Skylab environment was studied.
• Previous performance data from preflight training served as a baseline for comparison.
• Behavioral stress effects associated with the space environment were a key area of investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze Skylab crewmen's adaptation to various inflight tasks using time and motion techniques.
• To assess astronaut performance for behavioral stress indicators in the Skylab setting.
• To evaluate the efficiency of task performance in microgravity compared to preflight conditions.

Main Methods:

• Time and motion analytic techniques were employed to study inflight adaptation.
• The adaptation function (performance time over task trials) was used to evaluate efficiency.
• Preflight training data was used for comparison with inflight performance.

Main Results:

• Initial inflight performance showed a substantial increase in task completion time compared to preflight.
• Crewmen demonstrated rapid adjustment to the weightless environment, optimizing techniques for task performance.
• By the second inflight trial, performance efficiency neared preflight levels, with more regular and less variable adaptation functions.
• Effective control and translation of masses were achieved through developed body guidance and restraint systems.
• No evidence of behavioral stress attributable to the Skylab environment was found.

Conclusions:

• Skylab crewmen adapted effectively and efficiently to the microgravity environment.
• The adaptation function is sensitive to task and hardware variations and is more stable inflight.
• Astronauts developed sophisticated methods for movement and object manipulation in space.
• The Skylab environment did not induce significant behavioral stress effects on the crew.