The Space Architect's Diary #005
Physical Characteristics & Capabilities
How do we approach Human-centered design in Spacecrafts & space stations? One impactful design consideration is the human physical characteristics & capabilities.
By understanding and designing for the said characteristics & capabilities, we create a functional & comfortable environment for the crew, positively affecting their physical and mental health, safety, productivity & recovery.
when designing environments & crewed spaces (Female & Male) in reduced Gravity, our human-centered approach takes into account the following interrelated factors
Anthropometric Dimensional Data
Accounting for the quantitative measurements of the body is the core of designing and engineering the human environment. For example, the height & width of a doorway depends on anthropometry.
Change in Gravity will affect some human measurements. Designing a table or countertop for 0G environments needs to consider the 6% increase in spine length while sitting, thus changing the base Cervical height range. The spine stretches by 3% when the body is upright, which changes the range of the Acromial height.
Range Of Motion
Understanding the range of motion of the astronaut’s body & body segments will help design the crew’s environment in microgravity, while still considering their personal & occupational extents.
The Hip, for example, has a wide range of mobility, including abduction (-65°), adduction (20°), flexion(165°), extension (-15°), internal rotation (35°), external rotation (-35°)
Location of the Center of Mass & Moment of Inertia
Building on the Anthropometry, & range of motion, identifying the Center of Mass & Moment of Inertia (MoI) in the Body & body segments allows us to study the Human, Occupational, & Sports Biomechanics.
Example: The Torso has a Center of mass (cm) on Anatomical Axis Xa, Ya, Za (-10.41 to 2.49, -1.52 to 1.73, 16.33 to 25.6) & a MoI on Principal Axis (kg.m^2 x 10^-3) Xp, Yp, Zp (638 to 2,030, 577 to 1840, 205 to 644)
Crew Strenght & Operational Loads
A mission’s, spacecraft’s, or habitat’s success depends in part on the durability of the structure and hardware.
Biomechanics allows us to approximate the range of the human body’s strength & how much operational load they exert in 0G on the hardware without breaking or damaging them.
Example: Lifting strength while standing with slightly bend knees has an operational load Max 1228 N (125Kg), Minimum Critical 36N (3.67Kgf)
while Pinching (Thumb Finger) has Max 200N (20.3 Kgf) Minimum Critical 9N (0.9 Kgf)
Accounting for the above factors will produce designs that will improve the crew’s mobility, maneuvering, & efficiency in microgravity, creating a safe, functional, & comfortable living & working environment.
Accounting for the above factors will produce designs that will improve the crew’s mobility, maneuvering, & efficiency in microgravity, creating a safe, functional, & comfortable living & working environment.