Maximizing Crew Performance/Productivity For Missions To The Moon And Mars

The eighth in the series of Community Workshops for Achievability and Sustainability of Human Exploration of Mars (AM VIII), hosted by Explore Mars Inc., was held virtually due to COVID-19 constraints on June 1-3, 2021. The workshop engaged a multi-disciplinary team of subject matter experts to investigate challenges and opportunities for human exploration of Mars, including how lunar activities can be maximally leveraged. The findings of the AM VIII workshop comprised ways in which near-term activities in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), in lunar orbit, or on the Moon can retire risk and reduce costs for human missions to Mars. These major topic areas will be the focus of a follow-on, in-person workshop (AM IX) at The George Washington University planned for June 14-16, 2022. AM VIII's findings include the following: Planning for human missions to Mars: In preparation for human missions to Mars, we need to leverage synergistic activities closer to Earth. The Moon offers the opportunity to test many critical in-space/on-surface capabilities off-Earth but close to home for which the design and/or operational requirements may be similar between the Moon and Mars (e.g., habitat, surface space suits, robotic partners, surface operations & technology, etc.). In addition, initial Mars mission(s) will begin building infrastructure for subsequent missions. Given the clear synergies between the Moon and Mars robotic and human programs, a combined Moon and Mars program office at NASA would enable collaboration and cross-fertilization across the currently disparate human and robotic programs for these bodies. Science during human missions to Mars: Human activities, especially science objectives, for human Mars missions are currently understudied and offer enormous potential for a variety of scientific disciplines. During transit and at Mars, investigations need to be planned to monitor and potentially mitigate evolution in astronaut medical and mental health during the long-duration missions in deep space far from Earth. In addition, science activities on Mars must be planned that truly leverage the human presence, while acknowledging and mitigating potential effects of long-duration space travel on astronaut health. Sample collection on the Martian surface will require careful planning. If this includes ice cores from mid-latitude sites, it will necessitate appropriate cryogenic storage capabilities. Accessing potentially biologically sensitive targets like subsurface ice may need to be carried out by robots initially, depending on yet-to-be-defined planetary protection requirements. Sample type (e.g., deep cores vs surface material) and science objectives, as well as containment and contamination-prevention requirements/equipment for cryogenic samples, may have a direct impact on Mars Transfer Vehicle (MTV) engineering requirements and crew activities. Robotic or human sampling (drilling, contamination protocols, storage/curation) could be tested on the Moon prior to Mars missions. Preparing for transit to/from Mars: A coordinated program of analog studies on Earth, in LEO, and in the lunar vicinity (lunar surface and/or lunar orbit) is needed to minimize cost and risk for future human missions to Mars. Strong concerns were expressed about crew health and how to mitigate adverse effects associated with long-duration space travel. Analog studies can help to identify and mitigate issues (especially those outside the Earth's magnetosphere), including those related to neuro-ocular syndrome, gravity reconditioning/re-adaptation, psychological effects of reduced pressure and long-duration confinement far from home, and radiation exposure and associated cognitive decline. Preparing for surface activities on Mars: Robotic reconnaissance is needed at the Moon and Mars to characterize landing sites and produce detailed maps. Even for relatively short surface duration (approx. 30 days) missions, pre-emplacement of infrastructure is critical for astronaut health and scientific exploration. Emplacement and testing of such infrastructure should be demonstrated in appropriate analog environments. Power generation is of the highest priority, and systems can be tested and scalability assessed on the Moon. Planning planetary protection compliant implementations for human missions to the Martian surface introduces complexities beyond those for robotic missions, including both contamination of the Mars environment with Earth microbes and exposure of astronauts to potential Mars microbes. Some aspects of planetary protection may be mitigated through judicious use of robotic partners, particularly in astrobiologically sensitive areas. Semi-autonomous or teleoperated robots that can core, capture, seal and store samples can be tested on the Moon. Partnerships between humans and robots are critical to exploration. Where possible, robotic partners should perform tasks to augment astronaut mobility and flexibility such as enhancing EVA capabilities, thereby reserving astronaut EVAs for roles that are optimally performed by humans. For example, a robotic partner could carry the health monitoring and environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS). Concepts of Operations (conops) for optimal human-machine partnering can be tested on the lunar surface.