Human Factors in space vehicle design Kritina L. Holden a,n , Jennifer L. Boyer a , Neta Ezer b , Keith Holubec c , Aniko ´ Sa ´ ndor a , John-Paul Stephens a a Lockheed Martin, M/C46 or 1300 Hercules Suite 100, Houston, TX 77058, United States b Futron Corporation, 2100 Space Park Drive, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77058, United States c Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering, 1290 Hercules Suite 120, Houston, TX 77058, United States article info Article history: Received 13 December 2011 Received in revised form 28 September 2012 Accepted 9 October 2012 Available online 11 December 2012 Keywords: Human Factors Standards Usability NASA HSI Space vehicle Orion Human-centered design abstract Proper consideration of human needs in the design of space vehicles results in a safe and productive environment for crewmembers. This is particularly important for crew interfaces that are used during ascent and entry due to the demanding environmental conditions. The involvement of Human Factors (HF) engineers in the design and evaluation process ensures that Human-Systems Integration (HSI) begins early, and continues throughout the lifecycle of a vehicle. This paper highlights various aspects of the HSI process: establishment of HSI standards, the use of research to develop and refine challenging requirements and verification methods, partnering with research projects to drive evidence-based designs, and the value of applying HF methods and principles to design. & 2012 IAA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The success of any human space flight program depends to a large extent on the attention that has been placed on Human-Systems Integration (HSI). HSI focuses on the integration of human considerations within and across all system elements in the development process to enhance design, reduce lifecycle costs, and optimize total system performance. Human Factors (HF) involvement during product design and development is critical to achieve quality HSI. This paper describes the key role that the HF organization at NASA has played in establishing and advocating agency-wide HSI standards. It also describes how research has been used to develop and refine challenging requirements and verification methods, and how partnerships with research projects have been used to improve design. The final section illustrates how HF participation in hardware and software design and evaluation activities at NASA has played an important role in the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). 2. Establishing Human-Systems Integration (HSI) Standards Crew health and performance are key considerations we are not designing the environment, but for the environment conditions of space. In addition to the physical environmental challenges (e.g., high vibration, extreme temperatures, and microgravity), crewmembers must deal with safety–critical systems, high workloads, isolation, and other mental stressors. To protect humans working in these extreme environments, HSI standards must be in place. The purpose of HSI standards is to provide evidence-based design direction from which Contents lists available at ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/actaastro Acta Astronautica 0094-5765/$ - see front matter & 2012 IAA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.10.020 n Corresponding author. Tel.: þ1 281 483 8829; fax: þ1 281 483 1847. E-mail address: kritina.l.holden@nasa.gov (K.L. Holden). Acta Astronautica 92 (2013) 110–118