Layperson Physiological Tolerance and Operational Performance in Centrifuge-Simulated Spaceflight

Area of Science:

• Spaceflight physiology
• Human factors in aerospace
• Commercial spaceflight research

Background:

• Previous studies indicate varied tolerance to spaceflight among diverse individuals.
• Understanding layperson response to hypergravity is crucial for commercial spaceflight safety and operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess layperson tolerance to simulated commercial spaceflight hypergravity profiles.
• To evaluate layperson performance in operational tasks during and after hypergravity exposure.

Main Methods:

• 46 volunteers underwent up to five centrifuge runs simulating winged and capsule spacecraft profiles (+4.0 Gz, +4.5 Gx).
• Subjects completed pattern-replication tasks on tablets during and after hypergravity exposure.
• Profiles included nominal launch/reentry and a dynamic capsule launch abort simulation.

Main Results:

• Increased motion sickness and study terminations were observed, particularly with capsule profiles.
• No association found between medical history, age, sex, or prior motion sickness and tolerance or completion.
• Task errors were common; accuracy and completion time correlated with age, but not sex.

Conclusions:

• Simulated commercial spaceflight profiles reveal layperson tolerance and performance limitations.
• Capsule profiles present unique challenges, and age is a factor in task performance under hypergravity.
• Findings highlight potential for operational errors by laypersons in spaceflight.