Strategy Development Pilot Study of Sleep-Restricted Operators Using Small Satellites with Displays

Area of Science:

• Space operations
• Human factors research
• Robotics simulation

Background:

• Sleep restriction is known to impair cognitive functions, potentially increasing errors and accidents.
• Satellite operations demand high levels of situational awareness and performance.
• The SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites) platform offers a unique testbed for simulating space missions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of sleep restriction on performance in a simulated satellite operations task.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of situation awareness (SA) aids under different sleep conditions.
• To determine if the order of sleep conditions (sufficient sleep vs. sleep restriction) influences learning and performance.

Main Methods:

• Eight subjects participated in a randomized cross-over study involving 3 days of sufficient sleep (SS) and 3 days of sleep restriction (SR).
• Participants controlled two SPHERES satellites in a simulated space debris avoidance scenario.
• Performance was assessed by measuring survival time, area covered, and satellite motion perception.

Main Results:

• Significant interaction effects were found between the order of sleep protocols and the sleep condition on survival time and area covered.
• Subjects who had sufficient sleep first demonstrated longer survival times in their second session compared to those who had sleep restriction first.
• Sufficiently rested subjects were better able to utilize augmented situation awareness cues to perceive satellite motion.

Conclusions:

• Learning and strategy development are enhanced when individuals are well-rested.
• Initial training or operations in a state of sufficient sleep may facilitate better understanding and utilization of situation awareness aids.
• Recommendations for training protocols for operating multiple robotic assets should include adequate rest periods before and after training to optimize mental model development and task performance.