International Conference on Environmental Systems, 

Boston, MA 2019

Relevant Environments for Analysis and Development 

(READy): 

Enabling Human Space Exploration

Through Integrated Operational Testing

ICES Paper 2019-80

David Coan – The Aerospace Corporation (NASA Johnson Space Center)

Trevor Graff – Jacobs (NASA Johnson Space Center)

Kelsey Young – NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Marcum Reagan – NASA Johnson Space Center
READy Vision & Goals

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Boston, MA 2019 2

Integrated Operational Testing for Space Exploration

Lead the development and execution of high-fidelity operational exploration

analog missions that closely mimic the space environment of interest, thus

developing and testing concepts that enable Exploration missions

Integrate and provide synergy across a broad portfolio of NASA-relevant

exploration-focused work, including integrated operational tests

Enable the evolution of human space exploration through the integration of

science, engineering, and operations

Advance the creation of the Tools, Techniques, Technologies, and Training

needed to successfully execute missions to the Moon and Mars

Inform the design of the Exploration EVA System and Concept of Operations
READy Charter Objectives

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• Establish a portfolio of relevant environment test facilities and approaches to 

support Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) –

including Gateway Utilization Phase 0-4 – as well as Science Mission 

Directorate (SMD) and Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) 

Exploration Research & Technology (ER&T) missions

• To establish an institutional resource for mission development integration, 

including for Gateway the Lunar Surface

• Fulfill key objectives of Exploration Integration & Sciences Directorate (EISD) 

Charter and Roadmap that enable the Journey to Cis-lunar space, the Moon, 

and Mars

• Provide synergy and ensure integration across a wide variety of on-going, 

active NASA and Exploration work

• Provide a unique service to select and integrate objectives and testing 

locations across the Center and Agency; become the “go-to” resource for JSC 

and Agency operational development testing requirements and align existing 

dispersed capabilities within a strategic and tactical plan
Integrated Operational Tests (Analog Missions): 

Who, What, Where, Why, & How

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TERRESTRIAL

LABORATORY

RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTS

To achieve mission readiness through integration and testing of technologies, 

systems, operations, and science in relevant environments

• Close technology, exploration, and science gaps

• Identify and develop the best systems, innovations, and operational approaches

• Drive out results not found in standalone testing, including things that do and do 

not work in a mission environment

• Inform strategic architectural and concept of operations development efforts 

• Facilitate EVA concepts of operations development

TECHNIQUES

TECHNOLOGIES

TRAINING

MULTI-ORGANIZATIONAL TEAMS INTEGRATION THEMES

PLANNING

EVA

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY

coordinated integration

EXPLORATION INTEGRATION

& SCIENCE DIRECTORATE

TOOLS AQUATIC

High-fidelity integrated multi-disciplinary operational development missions that closely 

mimic the space environment of interest, and allow for end-to-end operations, thus 

developing and testing concepts that enable Exploration spaceflight missions

WHO WHAT WHERE

HOW

INTEGRATED OPERATIONAL TESTING

WHY
WHO: NASA’s Exploration Integration 

and Science Directorate

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Boston, MA 2019 5

PLANETARY

SCIENTISTS

MISSION CONCEPT 

DEVELOPERS

EVA SYSTEM

DEVELOPERS

Leverage extensive knowledge 

and experience from ...

HISTORICAL MISSIONS

Apollo Surface Operations

HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

ISS, Shuttle

ROBOTIC MISSIONS

Mars Missions, OSIRIS-REx

MISSION SIMULATIONS

D-RATS, NEEMO & others

Unique blend of capability 

and skill sets ...
WHO: Partners outside EISD from NASA, 

Academia, Research, Industry, and DoD

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Boston, MA 2019 6

XM

EC

JSC

ARC KSC

JPL

GSFC

CB ER

SK

XX XI

And a multitude of others...
WHAT: Development & Integration 

Themes (4-T’s)

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Cross-Disciplinary Training

• Learning each others language, 

requirements, and drivers in EISD

• Ex. Geo-Science Field Training for 

managers and engineers

Astronaut Crew Training 

• Additional expeditionary and 

leadership opportunities

• Enhances both operational and 

science training objectives 

Operational Training 

• Provides ops training prior to 

payload flights for payload PIs 

and teams

• Enables development of 

engineers and scientists not 

normally exposed to operations

Exploration Operations

• Procedure development/ 

refinement 

• Signal latency & blockage

• Bandwidth limitations

EVA Operations

• EVA concepts of operations

• EVAs in undefined environments 

• Advanced capabilities & 

informatics

Science Operations

• Flexecution methodology

• Decision making protocols

• Transverse planning

Robotic Operations

• Autonomous

• Crew controlled

• Human-Robotic interface & 

integration

TOOLS TECHNIQUES TECHNOLOGIES TRAINING

EVA Systems

• EVA tools and equipment

• Large equipment transport

• Small tool transport on suit

• Informatics

• Crew rescue

• EVA Support System & IV 

Workstation

• Science instruments and sample 

acquisition tools

Instrumentation

• Sample identification / highgrading

• ISRU verification

Sample Acquisition

• Collection

• Curation

• Contamination Mitigation

• Preservation/Storage

Emerging Technologies

• Virtual/Hybrid reality 

opportunities 

• Relevant cutting-edge systems 

and capabilities for Exploration 

and EVA

• Rapid testing environment for 

development of emerging 

technologies

Innovations Incubator

• Relevant environments and 

operational constraints are a 

breeding ground for innovation 

Partnerships

• Opportunities for external 

partners to demonstrate current 

capabilities

• Direct collaboration leading to 

proposal and funding avenues

• Strengthens international 

partnerships
WHERE: Environments for Tests and 

Simulations

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LABORATORY

8

AQUATIC TERRESTRIAL

Active Response

Gravity Offload

System (ARGOS) 

Virtual Reality & 

Hybrid Reality

Laboratories

International 

Space Station

Field Training

Areas

Neutral Buoyancy

Laboratory (NBL)

Aquarius Reef 

Base (NEEMO) 

ESA's Neutral 

Buoyancy Facility

Extreme 

Environments

(ex. Antarctica)

Geo-Science 

Field Exercises

& Sites

EXAMPLES EXAMPLES EXAMPLES

Others ... Others ... Others ...
WHY: Exploration Capability 

Development via Integrated Operations

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Boston, MA 2019 9

ENGINEERING

SCIENCE

OPERATIONS

Exploration EVA

XX

Mission Planning, 

Develop & Integration

XM

Integrated EVA Science Operations

Astromaterials Research &

Exploration Science (ARES)

XI

Enabling human space exploration through the integration of mission architecture, 

EVA, science, engineering, and operations
WHY: EVA-Specific Goals for Integrated 

Operational Testing

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Boston, MA 2019 10

The primary goal for EVA is to inform the

Exploration EVA System Concept of

Operations by exploring the combination of

Operations and Engineering with Science for

Exploration destinations in a mission-like

environment

• Advance the future of the Exploration EVA 

System and operations

• Understand EVA capability needs and concepts 

of operations for a wide range of Exploration 

destinations being considered by NASA

• Assess the system and architectural interactions 

between Operations, Engineering, and Science 

• Determine and document closures to gaps in 

EVA capabilities and knowledge

• Develop and document concepts of operations 

for EVA at the Exploration destinations (EVAEXP-0042)

• Realize the needs of EVA equipment and enable 

the development of concepts for design 

maturation on the road-to-flight 
HOW: NASA Extreme Environment 

Mission Operations (NEEMO)

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Boston, MA 2019 11

• NASA undersea high-fidelity spaceflight mission analog – focusing on exploration science and EVA 

techniques & tools, as well as maturing near term (ISS) flight hardware and ops concepts – that sends 

groups of astronauts, engineers and scientists to live, work and explore in a challenging environment

• Allows for evaluations of EVA end-to-end concepts of operations with crew that are in-situ in a true 

extreme environment and provides for flight-like interactions between the crew and an MCC & Science 

Team

• Series of 23 space exploration simulations conducted since 2001
HOW: NEEMO Neoteric eXploration 

Technologies (NXT)

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Boston, MA 2019 12

 Concept currently in development for an add-on and 

eventual follow-on for NEEMO

 Focuses on Exploration operations development and 

training, xEVA informatics, xEVA con ops, and integration of 

science operations

 Offers a high intensity operationally challenging 

environment, with high workload, elevated stress, high 

bandwidth, time pressure, and unexpected external 

perturbations 

 Utilizes Nuytco Research Exosuit and Dual DeepWorker 

submersibles

 Exosuit provides an analogous restrictive suit that requires 

similar effort for positioning and working in an EVA suit, 

along with a relatively large helmet volume at 1 ATM to 

evaluate off the shelf informatics hardware
HOW: 1/6-G in Neutral Buoyancy

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Boston, MA 2019 13

Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory Neutral Buoyancy Facility
HOW: Geology Field Exercises and 

Training

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Boston, MA 2019 14
HOW: Solar System Exploration Research 

Virtual Institute (SSERVI)

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Boston, MA 2019 15

Integration with Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI)-

funded projects 

• RIS4E: Remote, In Situ and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration

o Focus: Remote sensing of airless bodies, field operations and metrics for 

human exploration, reactivity and toxicity of regoliths, synchrotron analyses 

of samples, volcanics and impact crater analog research

o Investigates the effects of incorporating field portable instrumentation into 

science-driven EVA timelines

• GEODES: Geophysical Exploration Of the Dynamics and Evolution of the Solar System

Multispectral Imaging & LiDAR for broad FOV hXRF & XRD for in situ chemistry and mineralogy
HOW: Potential Follow-on to NASA Desert 

RATS Campaigns

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Boston, MA 2019 16

Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) missions were a planetary 

analog

– Took place at the Black Point Lava Flow near Flagstaff, AZ

– Provided environment analogous to Moon and/or Mars, with crew 

conducting geoscience operations

– Allowed immersion of whole team, both flight crew and flight 

controllers

– Geoscience data still utilized for research

Final Desert RATS mission took place in 2011

Possible follow-ons for any Lunar mission program
HOW: Scientific Hybrid Reality 

Environment (SHyRE)

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Boston, MA 2019 17

• Developing a high scientific 

fidelity hybrid reality (HR) model 

of real-world geological sites of 

interest, including embedded 

data and applicable tool usage

• Builds off of several years of 

RIS4E in situ data collection in 

addition to data collected at the 

December 1974 flow, Kilauea 

Volcano, HI

• Testing environment that will be 

utilized for:

• Ops con development for 

science-driven EVAs

• Instrument deployment 

procedures

• EVA Support System and IV 

Workstation capabilities for 

science

• Crew training platform
HOW: NASA Next Space Technologies for 

Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP)

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Boston, MA 2019 18

Integration with tests to evaluate future habitation 

concepts for exploration missions

Numerous components also being developed in other 

READy activities
HOW: Potential Follow-on to NASA RATS 

2012 Simulation

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Boston, MA 2019 19

Research & Technology Studies

– Mission tested techniques, tools, planning, 

and communication protocols

– Matured operational concepts and 

technologies through integrated 

demonstrations

– Exercised overall ‘MCC style’ coordination 

between hardware, procedures, crew 

operations, mission control operations, 

science team operations, and engineering 

team

RATS 2012 was an asteroid analog mission

– EVAs conducted in VR Lab and on ARGOS

– Vehicle/asteroid sim was tied to VR lab/EVA 

sim to allow vehicle and EV interaction

Possible surface-focused follow-ons for any 

Lunar mission program
HOW: Exploration Operations Training

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Boston, MA 2019 20

Exploration Ops Class Training

 Seminar and/or classroom-based 

curriculum focused on training 

Exploration personnel on 

operations and flight control, EVA 

constraints, and science 

techniques and considerations

Field Geology Ops Training

 Geology training in the field 

geared towards Engineers and 

managers to provide an 

understanding and appreciation 

of science tasks and 

methodology

 Modeled on the Earth & 

Planetary Science Training taken 

by the ASCANs 

Integrated Operational 

Mission

 Support a Mission-class 

integrated operational field test 

(e.g., NEEMO or NEEMO NXT)

 Take a responsible role (e.g., 

science team member) engaging 

in

 Timeline development

 Priorities discussions

 Ops product development

 Planning and plan reviews

1 2 3
HOW: READy Implementation Plan for 

FY19

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Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct

EVA xInformatics

 xEVA info con ops (usability)

 xEVA Info equipment capability

IV Workstation

 General Build

 Gateway Robo Task

 Lunar Rover

 Lunar EVA

Virtual Reality/Hybrid Reality

 eXploration Science Ops Center

 SHyRE

 ARGOS

 APACHE

 VR Training (PaleBlue)

Cross-Disciplinary Exploration Training (incl. science, EVA, etc.)

 XA Exploration Trng

 NXT

 Geo Training

Exploration Tools and Technologies

 Ops Tools (Playbook, ProX, HL AR)

 Gen, Const.& Maint EVA Tools

 Equip X-port (METS, suit modules)

 Rescue Gear (LESA)

 HH Science Instr. (e.g., XRF)

 Deployable Science Payloads (e.g., seismometer)

 Interior Science (mDNA, AllTraq)

 Countermeasures (FIDES)

Ultimate

Objective NXT Feasibility Mission 8/19-3 0

DAVD

i nNBL

Gateway hab tests

Tests w/ APACHE

EVA Ops 

Con CR

Ascan

Trng

EVA Ops 

Con B/L

Level 1

xEVA Reqts

XEVA Ops 

Con CR

DAVD/

Acq. Coda ADS TIM

Octopus DAVD N23 ARB Training/Mission Prep 6/3-8 N23 Mission 6/10-1 9

SUITS HITL Testing

Gateway 

Hab

Reqts

NXT Feas. 

assess. 

3/21-31

N23 

Engr Wk

4/11-19

TubeX - 9/4 - 13

N23 Engr Wk

4/15-22

XSOC build

N23 Lessons 

Learned

Gateway HAB SDR

NXT JSC

Trng

NXT JSC

Trng

Exploration Trng Curriculum Dev

NXT Terrain Scouting

1/21 week

N23 

JSC Trng

5/13-17

N23 JSC Trng

5/13-17

VR Models

XA 

Personnel

Exploration 

Training

xEVA 

Reqts

TRL 

Advancement

Flight Demo

1st Expl Trng

Offering

Inst. data

i nHR env.

Programmatic Milestones

Major READy Milestones

N23 Mission

6/3-19

NXT

Feas Msn

8/19-30

1st Expl

Trng

Offering?

N23 

Lessons 

Learned

Spacecom

USN

TIM

11/27-28

Initial EVA 

sim cap.

Prelim 

EV Del.

& testing

Curric Dev

xEVA Ops

Reqts

Lockheed North/Gr Boeing SNC Bigelow

Gateway vendor hab tests

Gateway 

hab tests

Ascan

Trng

9/9-20

NXT Terrain 

Scouting

1/20 week

Test 

Env. Del.

Flagstaff 

Scouting

Engr/Mgmt

Trng

RISE/TubeX

Init Rockyard 

Env. Del.

D1974 test 

Env. Del. InitARGOS 

work

xEMU 

Demo PDR

Remote Demo

ESS Paper ICES Paper

AJAE Paper

Objective of 

informing 

xEVA con ops 

and 

requirements

Integrated 

mission class 

field tests

Focus on 

testing for 

xEVA System

Increased 

integration 

with 

VR/AR/HR

Development 

of Support 

Systems for 

EVA

Enhancing 

capability and 

experience of 

EISD

Serving to inform 

program/project 

milestones

Informing 

Gateway Hab 

requirements

Cross-Directorate 

training to break 

down silos

Contributing to 

technology 

readiness for 

flight

ISS (and 

beyond) 

Relevant

Swim lanes intersect at stand-alone and mission class tests to ultimately meet objectives
READy and the Future of Exploration

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Boston, MA 2019 22

Integrated Operational Testing for Space Exploration

Results from tests conducted and integrated by READy inform the development

of key capabilities, systems, and concepts of operations that will enable human

space exploration

READy ensures integration across a wide variety of activities and tests, which

provides critical synergy for the success of multiple exploration projects

For EVA, results derived from READy efforts are fed directly into the Exploration

EVA Concepts of Operations and provide critical information for development

of the Exploration EVA System

The ultimate goals are to provide NASA with robust space exploration

capabilities that will improve the future of human spaceflight into the Solar

System
Acknowledgements

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Boston, MA 2019 23

All of the team members and partners that enable the execution of analog 

missions are critical to the success of READy and Exploration

Bill Todd as a core team member for his contributions to the READy 

project

Jordan Lindsey as an EVA Office team representative and contributing 

member, along with his review of the paper

Adam Naids from the EVA Tools group as a significantly contributing team 

member, along with his review of the paper

Chris Hansen and Brian Johnson from the EVA Office, Cindy Evans and Lisa 

Pace from ARES, Dan Garrison from Jacobs/ARES, Kim Ess from the 

EMPO, and Eileen Stansbery from EISD for their support of the project
International Conference on Environmental Systems, 

Boston, MA 2019 24

Thank you!

Questions?