International Astronautical Congress IAC (2019): Washington D.C., US
Apollo and the Muses: cultural and technical inspirational knowledge embedded in lunar space arts.
30th IAA Symposium on Space and Society (E5) Contemporary Arts Practice and Outer Space: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach (3)
Sarah Jane Pell & David G. Barnes
Nine contemporary art and cultural research projects were integrated within a 15-day isolated and confined lunar analogue mission simulation. The mission architecture, uniquely customised and curated for the specific parameters of the LunAres Moon/Mars Station in Poland, 2018, also played to the strengths and interests of the transdisciplinary SPECTRA crew. As mission commander, responsible for crew selection, cohesion and project curation, my practice focused on human expression and performance, and the challenges of broadcast and communication. For the duration of the SPECTRA mission, I collaborate with the Monash Immersive Visualisation Platform [MIVP] and various remote partners including Lucy Electric LLC and Space Garden Company. MIVP teams produced tools for spatial awareness during simulated EVAs in terrestrial analogue sites, and post-processing large data transmission between global sites for affective visualisation in the CAVE2 and the Monash Future Control Room. Together we designed tactical laboratories for experimental arts to support performance within extreme operational isolated confined environments. Artefacts included immersive media, mixed reality, human-robotic interaction design, and new systems for live art and translocation communication and interdisciplinary human performance research published in Live, and VR formats. Outcomes were real and speculative, poetic and practical with high technical cultural value and human factors benefits during and post-mission. The success of the SPECTRA mission demonstrated ways that the cultural and technical cooperation embedded in the lunar space arts program could give value to the arts and science goals of missions today. Our inspiration was the Apollo programme. While primarily about space exploration, it also represented a meeting of political, technological and ontological paradigms through a global media spectacle, to become a significant moment in cultural exploration. Apollo broadcast and communication achievements for example, conjured inspirational and practical knowledge useful for future lunar mission architectures and the lunar analogue SPECTRA mission.
This paper (IAC-19,E5,3,12,x48843) was presented at the 70th IAC in Washington D.C. 2019. 30th IAA Symposium on Space and Society (E5) Contemporary Arts Practice and Outer Space: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach (3)
Copyright 2019 by International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.
Human spaceflight performance: bootstrapping the intersection of biometrics and artistic expression through planetary mission analogue EVAs.
IAF Human Spaceflight Symposium (B3) Human Spaceflight Global Technical Session (8-GST,2)
Sarah Jane Pell, Ryan L. Kobrick & David G. Barnes
Human spaceflight activities often compartmentalize projects by domain, but it is hypothesized that data sets gathered within interdisciplinary frameworks can produce the richest outcomes. This research investigates the intersection of projects native to both hemispheres of the brain to offer a new methodology for proposing research projects focused on using planetary mission analogue extravehicular activities (EVA). These simulated, multi-permutation, EVAs are critical for preparing humans for missions to the Moon or Mars. Minimal investment is required to train a crew in an extreme environment compared to actual spaceflight and locations can enlighten and influence our exploration plans ranging from how we design life support equipment, tools, and assess workload to human behaviour, joy, and play, i.e. our culture. Collaboration by the authors has occurred at the Mars Desert Research Station (USA), LunAres MoonMars Research Station (Poland), and with the Mars Academy USA NEAMAE Project (Nepal). Biometric tracking of astronauts is a well-understood medical discipline, but astronaut workload is being further investigated to understand how the physical parameters of an EVA (terrain slope, duration, and consumables) contribute to longduration mission planning. Artistic expression in this work is highlighted by “Performing Astronautics”, which aims to revive expeditionary artist practice in modern astronautics, exploration, and extreme performance sites. These projects were brought together through the use of common technology including biomedical devices, video and motion recording equipment, and GPS tracking. The qualitative data is maximized through the context of interdependent, layered, and complex interdisciplinary mission scenario simulations, providing higher fidelity insights into the impact and significance of the performance data in question. The simulated EVAs, survival training, and mission scenarios are opportunities to build new technology innovations to solve complex problems through an experimental process under relevant constraints. Support for human spaceflight may wax and wane and vary between nations, but with analogue missions, private or public, the crew becomes the platform themselves: implementing and expanding research data collection and capabilities by innovating within the complexity of a bootstrapped mission environment. This paper will discuss the multidiscipline approach, highlight data results from the investigations, and make recommendations for how this approach can be assimilated into exploration strategies.
This paper (IAC-19,B3,8-GTS.2,5,x50558) was presented at the 70th IAC in Washington D.C. 2019. IAF Human Spaceflight Symposium (B3) Human Spaceflight Global Technical Session (8-GST,2)
The authors also thank all our mission "Angels" and "MacGyvers" notably Nick Lopac and Daniel Waghorn, fellow analogue crew, lab members, research partners at ERAU, MIVP, MADA, The Mars Society, Final Frontier Design, Space Garden Company, Lucy Electric, Practon, SpaceIsMore, Lecia Geospatial, Untethered Exploration, Mars Academy USA, Hi-On-Life Adventures, & NASA.
Copyright 2019 by International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.
This work is part of the Performing Astronautics project assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
The Bending Horizon project was co-produced by the Monash Immersive Visualisation Platform. The S.U.I.T. Lab project was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the University of Central Florida’s NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium and Space Florida (2017-2018 Florida Space Research Program Award). was partially supported through ERAU research funding (2017-2018 FIRST Award & 2018-2019 FIRST Award). The 'bootstrap' research was partially supported by the ERAU Faculty Research Development Program.
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