Conducting Human-Computer Interaction Scientific Experiments in Extreme Environments: Insights from Analog Mars Missions

Recent technological and methodological advances at the intersection of space research and human-computer interaction have opened up new opportunities for studying interactions with computer systems in extraterrestrial-like settings. In this context, we address in this paper the challenges of conducting scientific experiments in human-computer interaction within extreme contexts of use by focusing on physical and psychological constraints affecting users, platforms, and environments. We contribute empirical findings from two missions conducted at the Mars Desert Research Station, where we explored the user experience of interacting with computer systems both within the indoor space station habitat and the outdoor Mars analog geological landscape. Drawing from our findings, we highlight the importance of replication, artifact reproducibility in the engineering of interactive computer systems for space research, and the need for more comprehensive conceptual and design frameworks for studying interactions within extreme contexts of use with scientific rigor.