We spent Spring 2020 on a mission to gather as much data as we could about our problem space, uncover insights, and reframe them into design goals.
Today on the International Space Station, crew members have constant communication with ground with no more delay than a long-distance phone call.
Crew members on long-duration space missions will face delays of up to 40 minutes, and even complete communication blackouts.
Based on historical mission data, it is highly likely that Mars crew members will need to solve urgent vehicle problems on their own.
We could have spent years researching NASA and its history. But we are designers, and rapidly learning domains is what we do. We kicked off the semester by diving into books, films, research papers (so many research papers), podcasts, basically anything we could get our hands on.
These readings allowed us to identify important stakeholders within NASA, specifically in mission control, and spurred ideas for the types of technology a final solution could include.
“One of the most valuable resources in the solar system will likely be a workhour of an astronaut’s time on Mars.”
In order to design the future of space travel, we needed a robust understanding of the current state of space travel. What works well? What are the pain points? What risks will be increased in long-duration space travel?
We took a 3 day research trip to Johnson Space Center where we interviewed Flight Controllers and Administrators and observed a Mission Control training simulation. We also later interviewed two astronauts. We held interpretation sessions, and then synthesized our data in a massive affinity map and journey maps.
For the answer to this question, we looked to experts in a range of fields, including HVAC, electrical engineering, mining, and auto repair. We focused on fields in which engineers face space-like conditions such as isolation and communication gaps.
"I really don't want that to be a problem."
- N, Electrical Engineer
We set out next to study the effects of isolation on productivity and daily living. With people across the world quarantining in their homes due to COVID-19, we noticed a unique opportunity to access a large sample size. We created a ten-day diary study that prompted participants to reflect on their general mood, productivity, and best and worst parts of the day while in isolation.
“Trying to come up with excuses why my work output is decreasing, I haven't worked up the nerve to tell anyone of my anxiety attacks.”
"Typing this out for some unknown person to read is really helping me cope."
With a wealth of research materials to pull from, we began to identify future needs of astronauts on their way to Mars. For each identified need, we created a storyboard illustration of a potential solution to the need, though we purposely left the mechanisms of the solution vague.
Validated Needs:
Our research revealed an opportunity to create diagnostic technology to supplement the problem solving workflow during an anomaly. We identified four criteria for success within this workflow:
Easy access to resources including telemetry, procedures, and schematics
A clear workflow that follows troubleshooting best practices
Nudges towards asking critical questions and considering downstream effects
Painless documentation that helps the crew as much as it helps MCC
