Review of Advanced Informatics and Display Systems for Extravehicular Activity Operations

New operational challenges exist for coordination and collaboration amongst spatially and temporally distributed teams as NASA prepares to return to the Lunar surface and beyond to execute ambitious Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). Novel strategies will be required to effectively execute manned surface exploration activities where communication and bandwidth latencies disrupt coordination. Additionally, testing novel strategies for EVA can be challenging, requiring an approximation of distant planetary bodies, specific concepts of operations (ConOps), and prototype information management/decision support technologies.

This paper compiles existing literature on EVA analog environments and associated decision support software systems (DSS), providing an overview of the state of the art for simulated EVA mission environments and supporting technologies. Prototype software explicitly supporting EVA planning, execution, and post-hoc analysis was the primary focus, as these capabilities are most aligned with anticipated shifts in crew responsibility and future needs.