AstroAccess: Testing accessibility accommodations for disabled and mixed-ability crews operating in space-like environments

Abstract

Society today is experiencing a golden age of robotic space exploration and interest in human spaceflight has regained popularity as entities like NASA and the burgeoning private space industry refocus attention on sending humans back to the Moon and into orbit. This is a critical turning point for society, as some look to our future as a possibly spacefaring civilization while others wonder who will be enabled to participate in that space exploration. Historically, Disabled individuals and other minoritized groups have been excluded from space science and technology fields, as well as from participation in astronaut programs. However, human space exploration can be made more inclusive with research and innovation in the area of accessible design. Universal accessible design brings advantages to all individuals operating in an environment, and the ability of Disabled individuals to adapt to environments not suited for them can be leveraged as a strength in spaceflight. In this work, disabled and mixed ability crews performed research on parabolic zero-gravity flights which produce weightlessness, exploring tools and technologies which may mitigate challenges for disabled individuals operating in space-like environments. Here we discuss the experiments performed on our flights, highlighting what types of technologies offer promising solutions for accessible design of space habitats, suits, and tools, and accommodations which can enable future disabled astronauts to operate safely in space. We will highlight universal design solutions that not only provide access to previously excluded researchers but have the potential to improve safety and efficiency for all astronauts, regardless of disability. We will also discuss operational strategies which can be incorporated into training and procedure to leverage the strengths of mixed ability crews in ensuring everyone operates effectively together.