NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

Relevant Technical 

Requirements

Artemis Lighting 

Considerations 

Overview

OCHMO-TB-001

Rev B

Executive Summary

NASA crewed spaceflight programs have had years 

of experience with the Space Shuttle and 

International Space Station (ISS) programs in 

performing exterior vehicle proximity activities such 

as crewed Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), robotics, 

docking, and inspections. These experiences have 

been operated in full sunlight every 45 minutes 

during each orbit in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The 

lunar surface, especially at the South Pole, will have 

poor lighting conditions due to the day-night cycle 

lasting one Earth month (see photos below for 

comparison to Apollo conditions) and the 

extremely low angle of the sun relative to the South 

Pole surface. Exploration of exterior lighting 

systems need to plan for both perpetual darkness 

and perpetual harsh sunlight. This Artemis Lighting 

Considerations Overview Technical Brief is intended 

to provide guidance on development of an 

integrated lighting architecture plan that 

accommodates human and machine vision related 

EVA tasks. The lighting engineering process may 

involve trade-offs in meeting these needs within 

power constraints and physical restrictions on light 

sources and operator placement. Treatment of the 

solution as an integrated design project will provide 

for the development of all end-item components 

(suits, lunar terrain vehicle (LTV), Human Lander 

System (HLS), and Surface) needed to provide a 

productive lighting system that supports crew 

safety and performance of mission objectives.

Example of lighting conditions on the lunar 

surface at the South Pole. Generated by NASA JSC 

NASA Scientific Visualization Studio.

NASA-STD-3001 Volume 2, Rev D

[V2 3006] Human-Centered Task Analysis 

[V2 3101] Iterative Developmental Testing 

[V2 8051] Illumination Levels

[V2 8053] Emergency Lighting 

[V2 8056] Lighting Controls 

[V2 8057] Lighting Adjustability 

[V2 8058] Glare Prevention

[V2 8059] Lighting Chromaticity 

[V2 8060] Lighting Color Accuracy

[V2 8103] Environmental Lighting 

Attenuation

[V2 8104] Task-Specific Exterior Lighting for 

Operational Areas Partially or Fully Lit by 

Sunlight

[V2 8105] Navigation and Wayfaring 

(Exterior)

[V2 10150] Display Standards

[V2 10048] Visual Display Parameters 

[V2 11018] Suited Field of Regard 

[V2 11020] Suit Helmet Luminance Shielding
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Background

Lighting System Development Beyond LEO

The ISS LEO orbit mainly consists of a repeating 90-minute day-night cycle. The time of year and solar beta angle 

(β-angle) affects the amount of solar lighting the ISS receives, with periods of constant sunlight occurring a few 

times per year. The ISS orbit has an inclination of 51.6°with respect to the Earth equator. This results in a β-angle 

that varies between ±75.1°over the course of a year. As the β-angle increases, the ISS is exposed to more 

sunlight per orbit

NASA’s current planned 6-day lunar orbit of the Gateway vehicle will maintain the vehicle out of the Moon’s 

shadow to create a continuous illumination from the sun.

10/24/2023

Rev B 2

External lighting design for Gateway 

will differ from previous strategies 

used with the ISS. Continuous 

illumination from the sun and vehicle 

shadowing will need to be taken into 

account for docking, undocking, and 

EVA activities.

a.i. solutions FreeFlyer orbit simulator: https://aisolutions.com/newsroom/about-us/news-multimedia/lunarlander/
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Reference Information

The Sun’s Angle on the Lunar Surface

The Moon is nearly perpendicular to the direction of the sun’s light, which can never reach the floors of some 

deep craters (known as permanently shadowed regions). At the Moon's poles, the sun is always near the horizon 

and the shadows are perpetually long, sweeping across the surface with the changing solar azimuth. As the 

Moon rotates on its axis, the sun skims the horizon, traveling a full 360°around the terrain. Mountains as far as 

75 miles (120 kilometers) away cast shadows across the landscape. 

10/24/2023

Rev B 3

The sun incidence at the surface of the South Pole 

is 1.5°, which will generate constant sunlight with 

extremely long shadows and mission phases with 

complete darkness. Providing adequate lighting 

will be challenging due to the sun angle on the 

horizon and the resulting shadows. 

Craters at the lunar South Pole area 

containing permanent shadow

Source: Martel, L.M.V. The Moon's Dark, Icy Poles. Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. 

Angle of the Earth to the sun’s light

Angle of the Moon to the sun’s light

Craters and regolith formations at the lunar South Pole area 

showing complete darkness and long shadows. Generated 

by NASA JSC NASA Scientific Visualization Studio.
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Reference Information

Determining Shadow Lengths

10/24/2023

Rev B 4

The length of shadows cast on the lunar surface by objects (i.e., crewmembers, lunar terrain vehicles 

(LTV), mountains, rim of a crater, etc.) can be calculated using mathematical equations. 

Basic trigonometry concept for 

determination of shadow length

Plane of incidence of solar rays at the surface 

feature; L = Shadow Length; H = Object Height

Source: Venet, B.P. (2017). Determination of Lunar Feature Heights from Shadow Lengths 

Example: Shadow Cast by a Lunar Lander

At an approximate 1.5-2 degree sun inclination angle, an object on the Moon’s surface will have a 

shadow length that is approximately 27 times the height of the object (L = 27 x H). 
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Reference Information

Environmental Impacts on Lighting System Architecture

The following conditions will impact the lighting system architecture:

• The position of the sun and angle with respect to the worksite will impact both availability of natural light and 

visual hazards from the direction of shadows and extreme contrast. Areas with zero darkness will still be 

significantly affected by shadows. The position of the sun for a planned mission will drive architecture 

requirements to protect crew safety and ensure successful completion of mission tasks.

• Position of observer/camera and their field of view or line of site with respect to the sun.

• Reflectance of sunlight from nearby celestial bodies, such as the Earth to the Moon to Gateway, either 

contributing diffuse light to a task surface, or creating a potentially high contrast luminous backdrop within the 

observer’s field of view.

• Surface topography, especially when the sun has low inclination angles with respect to the primary surface, 

creating visual challenges with long deep shadows with extreme contrast.

• Properties of naturalsurface materials, such as percent absorption and scattering (specular versus diffuse) and 

its impact on usable reflected light and unusable reflected glare. 

• Timing and changes of natural lighting conditions as it relates to both the position of the celestial object 

(Moon/Earth) to the sun, the location of the task with respect to the celestial object (altitude), and the ordinal 

location of the task with respect to the celestial object (equator, poles, time of “day” and time of “year” [i.e., 

seasonal changes]).

10/24/2023

Rev B 5

Image captured during Apollo 17 surface mission

Example of lighting conditions on the Lunar surface

The relative uniformity of surface reflectance and color of lunar regolith obscure surface details when 

observed looking in the sun’s direction or with the sun to one’s back. When viewed at an oblique 

angle to the sun’s rays, shadows cast by surface irregularities provide visual cues to objects’ relative 

size and shape. For this reason, the lunar landing approaches by the Apollo landers were intended to 

be “cross-sun.”
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

Task Assessment

Exterior Light Specific Task Analysis 

The Lighting Analysis will be scoped by the Task Analysis. To plan a lighting system, we need to know how it will 

be used. Proper planning of lighting systems is essential to determine:

• Lighting types

• Beam type 

• Determining the beam distribution per lamp 

• Variability of beam distribution for multi-functional tasks in the same area

• Stationary (vehicle/rover mounted, suit mounted) vs. portable lighting (flashlight-type, lights on a stand)

• Night vision goggle technology

• Efficient power systems utilization

• Well thought-out control systems

• Development of redundancy and emergency designation of light sources

• Illumination level

• Lighting color

• Brightness needed

10/24/2023

Rev B 6
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

Integrated Operational Environment

• The operational size will drive the number of stationary lamps required to maintain adequate illumination 

over the work area or to maintain a line of sight between translation points for safe navigation. 

• A large surface that diffuses and transmits light could be put in the path of low-inclination lighting from the 

sun at the lunar South Pole to create a work zone with diffuse, high intensity, and quality spectrum lighting.

• Large vehicles can utilize the selection of diffuse white materials with the combination of permanent or 

portable lighting to create a diffuse indirect lighting effect for a soft diffuse work environment.

• Support vehicles can provide methods for the crew to craft a temporary “white room”, through use of 

structures, to allow the crew to utilize inter-reflected light, maximizing what can be accomplished with a 

limited set of portable lighting systems.

• Activities that are planned in close proximity to multiple vehicles that may be using light-colored surface 

materials versus activities that are largely planned in the open over dark lunar regolith require different 

lighting solutions due to the presence of beneficial inter-reflected light versus absorption and lack of beneficial 

inter-reflected light.

10/24/2023

Rev B 7
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

Integrated Operational Environment

• Portable light poles could be equipped with popup fabric umbrella reflectors to provide the crew the option of 

having direct light or diffuse indirect light by redirection of a spot lamp into the reflector.

• Navigation and identification of a vehicle at a long distance can be enhanced by strategic selection of material 

reflectance types to enhance edge detection and visibility of important architectural surfaces at a distance. 

Additionally, illumination of these same surfaces can create luminous shapes that can be used for 

identification, even when sunlight is not available.

• The implementation of a lighting system is dependent on supporting power systems. Variable intensity, 

manual versus automatic, and considerations on dimming methods impact lamp and lamp-system design.

• Illuminance requirements must be determined in accordance with the anticipated operating luminance 

conditions. Factors affecting luminance include the reflective properties of the environment surface and 

surrounding features.

• The elevation of illumination (ground, head height, top of lander, etc.) impacts the ability of a lamp or set of 

lamps to redirect light to the area of interest and efficiency of that lamp to produce the correct illumination 

levels for the desired elevation.

10/24/2023

Rev B 8

Apollo 14 Modular Equipment Transporter (MET) Apollo 17 Lunar Rover

An integrated system lighting architecture should utilize surrounding structures, surfaces, and 

materials. Creative thinking about how to harness, redirect, or soften the effects of direct sunlight on 

shadowed regions with use of architectures and materials is a strategic way to reduce extreme 

contrast and maximize the abilities of an artificial lighting system. 
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

EVA Suit Considerations

When the crew first lands on the Moon and begins 

exploration activities, the lights on their suit will be the 

only lighting system until they deploy temporary and 

permanent surface lighting support equipment. Suited 

lighting architecture will also be important during 

surface traversing and other task activities.

 The “First Lights” should be designed to support 

the tasks needed to prepare the crew’s worksite 

until surface lamps and other lighting equipment 

are installed.

 The suit needs to provide worksite lighting 

intensity levels, without additional ambient 

lighting.

 After surface lamps are installed to provide 

general ambient lighting, the crew can conserve 

power by only using the suit lamps when needed.

 Helmet lighting design should prevent potential 

blinding and glare (including between suited 

crewmembers) during EVAs.

 Crew could be carrying hardware that obscures 

field of view or impacts light propagation.

 Helmet shapes contain elliptical geometry that 

could make it difficult to prevent light from 

making contact.

 The sun can be “blinding” when walking/driving 

towards it, making the use of visors a necessity.

 Walking down grade may have more challenges 

than walking upgrade.

 Surface topography and shadow contrast make it 

difficult to estimate slopes and judge distances.

 Visors may introduce distortions of shape or 

location or may reduce contrast or produce 

multiple images. Helmet visors also create 

additional shadowing and lighting angle 

considerations. Special treatments such as 

coatings or polarization may distort colors or 

reduce visibility of polarized sources (e.g., LCD 

displays). 

10/24/2023

Rev B 9

Illustration of potential EVA suit lighting at the lunar 

South Pole. Generated by NASA JSC NASA Scientific 

Visualization Studio.

Example: xEMU helmet field of view
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

EVA Suit Lighting Examples

Other Considerations:

• Power required to provide adequate lighting

• Dissipating heat from lamps and electronics

• Preventing internal lamp light loss

10/24/2023

Rev B 10

Two types of light focus: 

Translational: For traversing the lunar surface

Work: Focused on two-handed work envelope for task lighting

Visit the NASA Suit Up website to 

find current information on NASA 

xEMU suit technology and 

development. 

https://www.nasa.gov/suitup

Examples of Work Lighting – Light Distribution

Working envelope of the hands/arms Lighting Envelope

Illumination envelope should match the working envelope of the hands/arms.
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

Camera Lighting & Automation

10/24/2023

Rev B 11

Cameras play a dominant role in inspections, real-time decisions, and autonomous operations, 

requiring careful integration evaluations. Relying on basic system requirements of human 

performance, such as required lux levels for certain tasks, does not fully encompass the complexity of 

potentially increased visual needs due to the predominant appearance of the visual field of view (dark 

colored environment versus light colored). 

Similarities and Differences Between Human and Camera-Based Visual Tasks
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

Testing & Verification Tools

Testing of lighting systems includes capture of lamp performance characteristics and evaluation of 

integrated lighting and hardware, such as lamp-sensor packages. The following list outlines important 

capabilities for a test and verification program responsible for optical performance requirements. 

• Physical test facility should provide a large open room where all major surfaces are matte black, via 

paint or blackout cloth. Facilities with extremely tall ceilings may be able to avoid needing to have 

black ceilings. The intent is to mitigate surface reflectance in the room from impacting quality of 

lighting data captured by sensors.

• Light Source Beam distribution test is best performed with a type A or B goniometer, which 

automates the collection of lamp intensity data with respect to angle. Goniometer test systems can 

provide light distribution data in Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) beam distribution file format, 

which, in turn, can be used by computer-based simulation and visualization tools for proper 

representation of the lamp.

• Calibrated illuminance meters that have an operational range for all expected lighting test conditions. 

If validation activities include up to orbital light levels, ensure the meter will not be out of range for 

measurements of 130,000 lux.

• Calibrated luminance meters are necessary for measurement of lamp aperture and materials surface 

brightness. The ability to document surface brightness is important for mitigating eye hazards and 

addressing surface contrast.

• A calibrated spectral irradiance meter for spectral range of 350-780 nm is important for documenting 

lamp and integrated habitat compliance to spectrum-based requirements for chromaticity, color 

fidelity, and photobiological (eye hazards and circadian lighting) performance constraints. The added 

capability to measure 200-350 nm adds monitoring if ultraviolet light is included. The added 

capability of 780-1000 nm adds the capability to measure near-infrared (NIR) light, which represents 

wavelengths often used in line-of-site infrared transceivers. 

• A calibrated hemispherical/spherical spectral reflectance meter is a valuable tool for integrated 

architecture design and validation. The tool can be used to document and optimize surface 

reflectance to maximize effectiveness of a lighting system and can be used in development of 

material properties for surface targets used by imagery components that provide input to 

autonomous systems.

• A flicker meter or an oscilloscope paired with a photo diode can be used to document the duty cycle 

and pulse modulation waveform for lamps that use pulse-width-modulation (PWM) for dimming. 

PWM light sources can create integration issues with cameras and transceivers if integrated 

constraints on flicker/sampling frequencies are not coordinated.

10/24/2023

Rev B 12

It is important to begin testing and verification of the lighting system early and repetitively to ensure 

an adequate lighting environment will be provided for the crew to safely and effectively perform 

mission operations.
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

Testing & Verification Tools

• Usage of optical modeling software as part of an “agile” design process enables development of lamp 

models for integrated lighting habitats. The same models can also be used to improve requirements 

in source control drawings when outsourcing lamp development projects.

• Usage of optical modeling for the lamp development stage can help a vendor optimize lamp optics to 

maximize usability of a lamp despite constraints on power. Some software models also allow for 

dynamic adjustment on lamp output in simulations based on LED thermal constraints.

• Usage of optical modeling for integrated lighting implementation solutions can help camera clients 

understand the luminance range and visibility of objects within the field of view of a camera, 

providing further feedback on lamp placement or redesign guidance for the lamp itself.

• Lighting simulations can be used as a tool to develop smart test procedures and pass/fail criteria for 

lamp and integrated environment testing. 

The example below illustrates the use of a computer model to estimate the amount of ‘naturally 

occurring’ light in a specific environment to help design the appropriate lighting system.

10/24/2023

Rev B 13

Computer lighting analysis software uses “ray-trace” technology. Ray-tracers can be “forwards” or 

“backwards” and utilize model input such as computer aided design (CAD), materials reflectance 

properties, lamp beam distribution data, and optical-refractive properties. 
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Design

STS-71 Space Shuttle Docking System Testing

• At the Preliminary Design Review of the STS-71 Space Shuttle docking to the Russian Space Station Mir, 

concerns were expressed on the resolution of the hatch window, the camera system, and the overall 

lighting levels. A test was conducted in June 1993 to verify that the proposed design was adequate. 

• The lighting system consisted of a bulkhead floodlight, a bulkhead-mounted overhead docking light, 

two truss-mounted docking lights, and two lights mounted inside the Orbiter docking adapter (see 

graphic below).

• During testing, the reflection of the lights off the unpainted docking target bolts were noticeable, but 

not a problem for docking. 

• Six of the tests scored inadequately due to unacceptable shadowing under the various failed light 

conditions. In some of these cases, specifically failures of one centerline light, the shadow of the 

docking target standoff cross looks very similar to the standoff cross itself. Failures of other lights such 

as the truss lights or payload bay floods create shadowing, but not to an unacceptable level. 

• The shadows were attenuated by providing light in locations which offset them. Assuming overall light 

levels are acceptable, this can be accomplished by operational workarounds. For example, if a 

particular light failure creates a bad shadowing effect, other lights could be turned off or on to alleviate 

this problem. Therefore, the existing light placement is acceptable for performance of a successful 

docking.

10/24/2023

Rev B 14

Source: Mongan, P.T. 

(1993). Orbital Docking 

System Centerline Color 

Television Camera System 

Test. NASA Technical 

Memorandum 104783.
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Back-Up

10/24/2023

Rev B 15
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Example Lighting Environment at Artemis Base Camp

Note: These images are for illustrative purposes and are only intended to provide an example of expected 

lunar surface lighting conditions during Artemis missions. Images courtesy of the NASA Scientific 

Visualization Studio.

Background

10/24/2023

Rev B 16
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Lighting Terminology

The following information represents basic concepts in lighting that are critical to the definition of lamp 

design and integrated application of active and passive lighting countermeasures.

Illuminance (lux) describes the amount of light flux incident on a plane (vertical or horizontal) per unit 

area. Luminance (candela/meters^2) describes the amount of light flux emitted from a unit area and is 

angle (observer) dependent.

Background

10/24/2023

Rev B 17

When a quantity of light 

impacts surface(s), 

the reflectance properties 

of those surfaces impacts 

surface luminance and 

human perception of 

contrast. 

Horizontal illuminance corresponds to a plane parallel with the ground.

Vertical illuminance corresponds to a plane normal to the ground.

Uniformity corresponds to the illuminance or luminance gradient. Safety and human 

performance are typically improved the more uniform the surface lighting is.

Beam distribution (beam pattern) refers to the flux intensity distribution per angle of a light source.

Photopic à Mesopic à Scotopic are terms describing, respectively, decreasing visual capabilities due to 

limitations of rods and cones and their mapping on the retina.

Glossary

Solid Angle: This is volumetric angular section from a unit sphere and is analogous to the well-known 

trigonometric concept of the unit circle. Units are in steradians (sr). An entire sphere equals 4p sr. 

Beam Distribution: Sometimes called Beam Distribution, Beam Angle, or Beam Characterization. This 

represents a 90° hemisphere or 180° spherical characterization of the intensity of light at multiple angles 

from the source. Typically, illuminance measurements are captured at a fixed radius at multiple angles. 

Beam distribution is usually reported in relative percent intensity per angle with estimated lumen output, 

candela per angle, or illuminance per radius per angle. 

HWHM: Acronym for shorthand numerical description of a lamp beam pattern. HWHM stands for halfwidth-half-maximum. If HWHM is given for a lamp, the number represents the half-angle (angle drawn 

from normal vector from center of the lamp) at which the lamp’s beam distribution intensity falls to 50%.

Spectral Irradiance: Radiometric unit, analogous to illuminance, representing the radiant flux per surface 

area per wavelength. Units are in watts/meter2/nanometer (W/m2/nm). 

Spectral Radiance: Radiometric unit, analogous to luminance, representing the radiant flux emitted by a 

given surface area per solid angle per wavelength. Units are in watts/steradian/meter2/nanometer 

(W/sr/m2/nm).
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Glossary (continued)

Spectral Power Distribution: Waveform representing energy (absolute or relative) emitted per a range of 

wavelengths. All light sources have a unique spectral power distribution (SPD) that is impacted by its 

chemistry. The SPD is an essential dataset for estimating metrics dependent on wavelength.

Chromaticity: This is a calculated metric where the format of the units can be different depending on 

which standard is used. Chromaticity describes the color of an object, whether that be a surface material 

or light source. Chromaticity can’t be estimated without the usage of a spectrophotometer to measure 

the spectral power distribution of a light emitting source or reflectance spectrum of a material.

Color Fidelity: This is a calculated metric where the format of the units can be different depending on 

which standard is used. Color Fidelity describes the accuracy of a light source to render the appearance of 

colored materials accurately where the definition of perfect is how the Sun’s renders the color of 

materials. Color Fidelity can’t be estimated without the usage of a spectral radiance or spectral irradiance 

meter to measure the spectral power distribution of a light emitting source.

Goniophotometer: Specialized test equipment configuration that includes a rotation stage and is used 

collect beam distribution data for a light source. The type of goniophotometer is defined by the location 

of the rotation stage (lamp versus sensor). 

Diffusion/Diffusor: A light diffusion material or diffusor is a material designed to scatter or redirect light 

that passes through it or it can also represent a rough surface that light impacts and scatters multiple 

directions from.

Reflectance/Reflector: The property of a material to reflect and scatter light. Reflectance of surface 

materials is an important lighting system property as it impacts how humans and cameras observe the 

environment and the efficiency of lighting systems to illuminate surfaces to sufficient levels to create the 

desired luminous contrast. Reflectance can be considered part of the architecture and can be used as a 

tool in the form of a reflector.

Uniformity: This is a property that is typically applied for surface illumination but can also be applied to 

the light emitting face of light sources. Uniformity is usually defined in the form of ratios such as 

maximum/minimum, and average/minimum with a defined sampling grid size. Uniformity is an important 

safety and usability metric to minimize human error due to uneven illumination. Uniformity is achieved 

through a combination of beam distribution design, lamp placement, and understanding of reflective 

surfaces for the operational area.

Glare: This is a property that describes various problems in human perception of light and the interaction 

of light with surfaces and materials within an operational environment. Distracting glare is an “annoyance” 

where, because of reflection and refraction, it creates visual artifacts making harder to see and resolve an 

object. Discomforting glare is caused by bright direct and reflected light that makes it hard to look at the 

object because of the brightness level. Disabling glare causes objects to appear to have lower contrast 

because of scatter inside the eye. Blinding glare is caused by a direct or indirect light source and is so 

bright that the observer can’t see or is visually compromised.

Worksite or Work Zone: Area defined as the operational space for a task to be performed. This can be as 

small as the area immediately in front of a work stand and can also encompass a large operational area 

that has the same task performance constraints.

Background

10/24/2023

Rev B 18
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Rev A  Rev B • Updated information to be consistent with NASA-STD-3001 Volume 1 Rev C 

and Volume 2 Rev D.

Original  Rev A • Updated to include new External Lighting technical requirements.

Major Changes Between Revisions

10/24/2023

Rev B 19
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

NASA-STD-3001 Volume 2 Revision D

[V2 3006] Human-Centered Task Analysis Each human space flight program or project shall perform a 

human-centered task analysis to support systems and operations design. 

[V2 3101] Iterative Developmental Testing Each human spaceflight program or project shall perform 

iterative human-in-the-loop (HITL) testing throughout the design and development cycle.

[V2 8051] Illumination Levels For interior architectures and exterior operations that do not include the 

presence of orbital sunlight, the system shall provide illumination levels to support the range of expected 

crew tasks, at minimum, per Table 8.7-1—Surface Illuminance Levels, that accommodate both human 

observers and remote camera systems.

[V2 8053] Emergency Lighting The system shall provide emergency lighting (interior and exterior) to 

maintain visibility in the event of a general power failure.

[V2 8056] Lighting Controls Lighting systems shall have on-off controls.

[V2 8057] Lighting Adjustability Interior lights shall be adjustable (dimmable).

[V2 8058] Glare Prevention The integrated system architecture including surrounding surfaces, support

equipment, visualization tools, and supporting lighting systems shall work in conjunction to minimize 

visibility and eye-safety impacts from direct and indirect glare.

[V2 8060] Lighting Color Accuracy Interior and exterior lighting intended for human operational 

environments requiring photopic vision accuracy shall have a score of 90 ±10 on a color fidelity metric that 

is appropriate for the utilized lighting technology, as designated by the Color Fidelity Metric (Rf) defined by 

IES TM-30, Method for Evaluating Light Sources Color Rendition methodology.

[V2 8103] Environmental Lighting Attenuation The integrated system architecture shall provide 

countermeasures to attenuate environmental lighting and complement existing active lighting architecture.

[V2 8104] Task-Specific Exterior Lighting for Operational Area Partially or Fully Lit by Sunlight For 

operational area that include shadowed areas illuminated by the Sun, the system shall provide passive 

and/or active solutions that reduce the contrast within shadowed areas of worksites/tasks to within 2 

orders of magnitude of the predicted maximum surface luminance of objects, that accommodate both 

human observers and remote camera systems.

[V2 8105] Navigation and Wayfaring (Exterior) The system shall provide luminous powered and passive 

indicators that assist with proximity, navigation, and object recognition for validation of targets critical to 

the operation.

[V2 8059] Lighting Chromaticity Interior and exterior lighting intended for operational environments 

requiring human/camera color vision shall have a chromaticity that falls within the chromaticity gamut for 

white light for the Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) range of 2700 K to 6500 K as defined by ANSI C78-

377, Electric Lamps—Specifications for the Chromaticity of Solid-State Lighting Products.

[V2 10150] Display Standards The system shall meet the Display Standard in Appendix F. 

[V2 10048] Visual Display Parameters The system shall provide IVA displays that meet the visual display

requirements in Table 10.4-2—Visual Display Parameters. 

[V2 11018] Suited Field of Regard Suits shall provide a field of regard sufficient to allow the crewmember 

to accomplish required suited tasks.

[V2 11020] Suit Helmet Luminance Shielding Suit helmets shall provide protection to suited crewmembers 

from viewing objects with luminance that could prevent successful completion of required suited tasks.

Referenced Technical Requirements

10/24/2023

Rev B 20

View the current versions of NASA-STD3001 Volume 1 & Volume 2 on the 

OCHMO Standards website
NASA-STD-3001 Technical Brief

OCHMO-TB-001 Artemis Lighting Considerations

NASA Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer (OCHMO)

This Technical Brief is derived from NASA-STD-3001 and is for reference only.

It does not supersede or waive existing Agency, Program, or Contract requirements.

Reference List

1. Rea, M. S. (Ed.). (2000). IESNA Lighting Handbook: reference and application. (9 Ed.): New York, NY. 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

2. Rooney, A. Lighting the Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station. Strategies in Light Europe. 

https://na.eventscloud.com/file_uploads/93b4d7d7f625021065629168edb7b878_MTS5AnnaRooney.

pdf

3. Martel, L.M.V. (2003). The Moon's Dark, Icy Poles. Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. 

http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/June03/lunarShadows.html

4. Wright, E. (2021). Shadows near the Moon's South Pole. NASA Scientific Visualization Studio. 

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4893

5. Human Integration Design Handbook (HIDH). NASA/SP-2010-3407/Rev1. 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/human_integration_design_handbook_revision_

1.pdf

6. Clark, T. & Amick, R.Z. (2021). Lighting Systems Design and its Impact on Space Exploration. Internal 

NASA Document.

7. Venet, B.P. (2017). Determination of Lunar Feature Heights from Shadow Lengths. 

https://www.taas.org/TheTAASFiles/Submittals/Lunar_feature_heights_from_shadow_lengths.pdf

8. a.i. solutions: Fly to the Moon with FreeFlyer. https://ai-solutions.com/newsroom/about-us/newsmultimedia/lunar-lander/

9. The Moon's Permanently Shadowed Regions. (2013). NASA Goddard Media Studios. 

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11218

10. Gerstenmaier, W. Cislunar and Gateway Overview. 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/cislunar-update-gerstenmaier-crusanv5a_tagged_0.pdf

11. Mongan, P.T. (1993). Orbital Docking System Centerline Color Television Camera System Test. NASA 

Technical Memorandum 104783. 

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19940020152/downloads/19940020152.pdf

12. Clark, T., Aceves, R., Rollins, M., & Amick, R. Spacecraft Lighting Systems Challenges & Potential for 

Innovation. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20200001345/downloads/20200001345.pdf

13. OCHMO Lighting Design Technical Brief. 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/lighting_design_technical_brief_ochmo_021920

.pdf

14. Minimize ISS: SOLAR ISS Utilization: SOLAR and EuTEF facilities - external payloads of the Columbus 

Laboratory. Sharing Earth Observation Resources. 

https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/i/isssolar#:~:text=The%20ISS%20orbit%20has%20an,the%20course%20of%20a%20year

10/24/2023

Rev B 21