Engineering, Life Sciences, and Health/Medicine Synergy in Aerospace Human Systems Integration: The Rosetta Stone Project - An Executive Summary

Abstract

The successful design, development, and operation of human-rated and human-operated systems require the combined effort of engineering, science, and human health disciplines. This is extremely important to minimize risk and ensure safe operation of complex systems. Over six decades of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA's) efforts in aviation and human spaceflight, the highly trained individuals from each discipline who have worked collectively to accomplish our spaceflight programs must embrace human systems integration (HSI) with different skill sets, terminology, and approaches. The Rosetta Stone, which enabled translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, represents an appropriate analogy for communication necessary between these three distinct disciplines. A group of subject matter experts was assembled to write a text to be used within Aerospace HSI to ensure effective dialogue between engineers, life scientists, and health/medicine experts. A 10-chapter NASA special publication was produced. Each chapter provided a cogent discourse on various aspects of the subject. A series of recommendations were also developed and reported here. As a community, we are embarking on new exploration initiatives. The human will serve as a constant and essential element in the construct of systems to support these missions. Each discipline must work closely together from the beginning of the design phase to ensure HSI is successfully accomplished and the programmatic expectations and goals are safely met.