Surface EVA Readiness and Performance Optimization (SERPO): An Integrated Human Performance Approach

NASA’s Apollo Program marked a historic milestone in human spaceflight, yet it included fewer than 20 extravehicular activities (EVAs), with no astronaut completing more than three. In contrast, NASA’s future Lunar and Mars missions are expected to involve a significantly higher number of EVAs, presenting unprecedented physical, cognitive, and operational demands. These realities underscore the need to evolve beyond the legacy designs of the Apollo era, which—while groundbreaking at the time—present limitations that are not scalable for future sustained operations.

In this context, optimizing human performance is no longer a secondary consideration: it is central to mission success. Surface EVA Readiness and Performance Optimization (SERPO) was established to address this challenge through a fully interdisciplinary approach, bridging operations, engineering, medicine, research, and other domains. SERPO aims to close the knowledge and communication gaps across traditionally siloed fields, promoting integrated EVA system development that reduces operational overhead while approaching, or exceeding, performance levels seen in shirtsleeve conditions on Earth.

This report contributes to that vision by highlighting key factors influencing human performance in the context of surface EVA training and execution. It outlines the physical and environmental challenges inherent to exploration EVA, as well as relevant testing methods, facilities, equipment, and personnel. While the primary focus is on physical performance and environmental constraints, the report also touches on behavioral and cognitive performance, acknowledging that future work must expand to include all dimensions and domains of the human system.