Lunar I-Hab, Europe’s next house for the Gateway, has undergone critical tests in the last few weeks to study and further improve how humans will live and work inside its pressurized volume.
© Thales Alenia Space
Part of the Artemis program, these milestone tests have brought together ESA and NASA crews in Turin along with the Thales Alenia Space team to evaluate the ergonomics and feasibility of vital operations inside the module.
This HITL (human-in-the-loop) test campaign is a crucial part of the design and development phase of Lunar I-Hab. The tests are conducted by human subjects, who play a pivotal role in the design process. They simulate operational activities inside a full-scale mockup of the pressurized module cabin. The main objective is to evaluate accessibility and maneuverability inside the module. The results will help Thales Alenia Space engineers make design choices, identify potential issues and improvements, and assess the efficiency, safety, effectiveness, and acceptability of the design with respect to system requirements.
© Thales Alenia Space
As anticipated, the test subjects are guiding and shaping the design process. And for these important tests, ESA and NASA have involved two exceptional “users”: Luca Parmitano and Stanley G. Love.Thanks to their unique wealth of experience gained through previous missions in microgravity on the International Space Station, their input has added real value for Thales Alenia Space program representatives, helping them understand how the space inside Lunar I-Hab can be best utilized to support life and operations.
© Thales Alenia Space
A multidisciplinary team at Thales Alenia Space — comprising systems engineers, physical configuration and human factors engineers, quality control inspectors, operations and maintenance engineers, health and safety operators, and assembly, integration and testing engineers, to mention just a few — has been working closely with ESA and NASA program representatives. The presence of two members of ESA’s new generation of astronauts, Rosemary Coogan and Marcus Wandt, has further empowered the human-centric approach to these tests.
© Thales Alenia Space
The Lunar I-Hab mockup will continue to be used to support the design phase until the Critical Design Review, a significant milestone that certifies and finalizes the system’s design, marking the start of the assembly, integration, and verification phases. From that point forward, the mockup will be upgraded to increase its level of fidelity, complete with interfaces to simulate more complex operations.
To celebrate the conclusion of this important round of tests, Marcella Salussolia, Lunar I-Hab Program Manager at Thales Alenia Space, commented: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the commitment and dedication of the entire test team, which includes ESA and NASA astronauts, ESA and NASA representatives, and a team of highly motivated engineers at Thales Alenia Space. The campaign was challenging and involved extensive preparation work. Once again, a fundamental lesson has been demonstrated: teamwork is crucial when pursuing common objectives. Together, the Moon!
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