Design, Build, and Human Factors Evaluation of a Reconfigurable Space Habitat

As humanity prepares for advanced crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, the need for volume-efficient habitats for partial-gravity and microgravity environments becomes increasingly critical. To support extended duration crewed space missions, innovative habitat solutions must be developed to accommodate all crew personal and operational needs. Since the first crewed space missions, NASA and other agencies have conducted extensive research to identify the requirements for sustaining human life in space. To address these needs, the University of Colorado Boulder Human Spaceflight Graduate Project team developed a space habitat mockup. Based on the team’s conceptual lunar habitat design the habitat mockup incorporates additional features unique to microgravity habitats to enable evaluation in multiple simulated environmental contexts. The mockup design emphasizes crew wellbeing and operational efficiency through a reconfigurable galley, sleep stations, workspaces, and a deployable emergency radiation shelter. Its adaptable layout optimizes usable volume to improve habitability, while supporting various operational scenarios. To validate the usability of conceptual design and mockup build, human factors testing, including a “day-in-the-life” scenario was conducted. Evaluations indicate that several of the habitat features are acceptable or adequate for intended use, while participant feedback also identified critiques and recommendations to inform future design iterations. The mockup’s adaptable design provides a foundation for additional human factors evaluations and bioastronautics research at the University of Colorado Boulder for years to come.