ADAPTATION TO PROLONGED EXPOSURES IN THE ‘ION SIMULATOR T dune 1965 GIIMIID GENERAL DYNAMICS | CONVAIRCategory of Effort_Life Sciences ABSTRACT REPORT NUMBER__GD/C-BRR-AN-743 RD-1 NUMBER___ 111-914-911. REPORT TITLE Adaptation to Prolonged Exposures in the Revolving Space Station Sinulator AUTHORS_B. D. Newsom, Ph.D.) J. F- Brady, BeS., W- As Shafer, MDs DATE OF PUBLICATION 7 June 1965 R. S. French, Ph. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION Unclassified COMPANY CLASSIFICATION Unclassified Prior to design ot a space vehicle that is to employ an artificial gravity, it Is necessary to ectablish guidelines based not only on vestibular piysiology out also on a measure of crew performance in a simlator that imposes realistic changes in the inertial environments. The Manned Revolving Space Stetion Simu- iator has been constructed according to this concept and allows adjustments of radius, RPM, and stability. Four subjects have been exposed for five days of contimious rotation at 6 RPM on a stable platform to establish a baseline to define stability reauirements for a space vehicle with a "rotogravic" system. The four subjects all adjusted well to the environment and required little rost svin re-sdaptation. It is concluded chat six RPM at a 2U-foot radius is a satisfactory environment to use as a base line.TABLE OF CONTENTS RESULTS .. DISCUSSION .... REFERENCES «...Figure 1 10 ‘Table I LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Stability as a Design Factor in Artificial Gravity Space Stations « Simulator Suspended from Centrifuge « MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Subjective Well-Being Percent Baseline Well-Being vs. Days Rotation MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Oculogyral Illusion Test MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Digital Proprioception Test MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Tandem Walking Test With Byes Oven so. MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Tandem Walking with Byes Closed - MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Tandem Standing with Eyes Closed MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Steadiness Test ...+++++ MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Logical Inference Test .... MRSSS 5-Day Test Mathematics Test .... MRSSS 5-Day Rotation Time Estimation Test . Biochemistry -+.++0++ a as 16 at 18 19 20 aL 22 23 2h 26ADAPTATION 0 PROLONGED EXPOSURES IN THE REVOLVING SPACE STATION SIMULATOR INTRODUCTION As space technology advances, there is a need to determine the work potential of an in rotating vehicles of various dimensions and force field characteristics, to guide the engineers in choosing optimal man-nachine trade-offs for systens euploying artificial grevity. The guidelines ve provide mist be realistic not only for the large orbiting vehicles of the future, but--even more acutely--as back-up concepts for today's approved vehicle programs. Sone estimates of man's rotational tolerance envelope for manned vehicles with artificial gravity have appeared in the literature. Those of Loret™ and Dole® are in essential agreement and are generally accepted as design limits. The angular velocity ceiling of RPM hee been largely derived from observations made by Dr. Graybiel and his group in their Pensacola experiments.> This is not to suggest that there is complete agreenent as to the limits of the envelope; ? have angular velocity ceilings of less than 4 xpM,” and even lees than 1 RPW been suggested. It is of interest thet neither in Loret's or Dole's envelopes is the stability of the ventele considered a design limitation. In providing nabiteble roteting space vehicle, atebility is no less important than angular velocity, radius, g-level and rim velocity. In a rotating space vehicle, vehicle precession as well as head rotation can cause stimulation of the crewman's labyrinth. Vehicle stability, therefore, becomes a necessary contingency in manned vehicle design, and an item of necessary consideration to the physiologistconcerned with guidelines for such design. The effects of vehicle instability may very Likely lover the permitted angular velocity. It would seem reasonable that the stimli to the labyrinth due to vehicle instebility would complement that due to the crevman's active head movements. Until more date is available on the physiological effect of vehicle pre- cession during rotation caution must be shown in defining spin rate ceilings. Investigation of habitebility and performance in the total dynamic environment of rotating vehicle simulators needa to be defined. Without such ground work, design engineers mest vork in an arbitrary manner. This could be costly and mission limiting. Workers such as Larson® ‘and Kurzhals! have lent theoretical and empirical consideration to the engineering problem of instability in the nanned rotogravic vehicle. Coupled to such efforts, there mist also be phyeiologi- eal and crew performance tests done as « function of instability during rotation. Disturbances, such es docking impacts and active or passive changes in crew or hardvare mass, may cause many combinations of structurel end force field oscilla- tions, most of which could be significantly detrimental to crew function. ‘The primary disturbances that may result from vehicle instability are: (21) wobbling, the precession of the space vehicle spin axes relative to space- fixed coordinates, and (2) rotogravic oscillation, the precession of the vehicle angular momentum vector. ‘These phenomena require that the bio-functional design envelopes be defined inclusive of vehicle stability, es shown in Figure 1. What is suggested is that for given combinations of angular velocity and vehicle radius, ‘the bio-functional envelope be limited by an instability of given precession rate and amplitude. ‘There mist be consideration of both spin axie precession (wobble) and spin vector precession ("rotogravic" oscillation). Wobble may be similated byoscillating the floor tilt of a revolving similator during constent spin rate. “potogravic" oscillation may be simulated by varying the simulator spin rate with a constant floor tilt. A secondary disturbance that may result from vehicle instability, especially significant in a small roteting space vehicle, is the vartotion of rotogravity either through compensated or uncompensated radial mass movesents, or through static mass unbalances. Radial mass movenents will vary the angular velocity through @ conservation of angular momentum; static mass urcalance will vary it through radial rotogravity differences inherent in non-coincidence of vehicle aod spin axis. ‘These pure variations in rotogravity may be simulated by coordinat- ing angular accelerations with changes in simulator tilt to obtain @ continuity of inertial alignment. M11 of the above stability phenonene may occur singly, sequentially or similtaneously. Stability, therefore, presents @ critical and complex bio- fmetional problem. ‘he design trade-offe required can only be optimal when the soduli of crew response to these dynamic stresses are known. For thie type of study a significant number of subjects are required to perform appropriate tasks within a similetor that is @ reasonable facsimile of a rotating space station. By varying the dynamic characteristics of the environ- nent (angular velocity, stability, force field) we may obtein guidelines in terms of crew performance. In this vay an estimate can be made of the design require- nents for stability. The Manned Revolving Space Station Simlator (MRSSS) is descrived in greater detail in previous papers;°? 9 2° 4+ consists of an 8! x 14! x 7! cabin trunnioned to supporting I-beans 18' from the spin axis of a 220,000 g-pound centrifuge (Figure 2). The cabin is divided into two separate rooms, one containing thesleeping and toilet facilities, and the cther food preparation and refrigeration facilities, and space for recreation, testing, and study. Kotary couplings and slip rings provide running water, sewage disposal and date transmission during rotation. Additional communication is provided by voice, television and FM telemetry. A loading port in the outboard bulkhead of the MRSSS: permits transfer of parcels during rotation. Tests were run at various spin rates for 4-hour exposures to determine wnat tasks vere particularly sensitive to a rotating environment and what physiologic problems could result from rotational testing.°’ 9 this information ves required prior to attempting extended time exposures. It was found that some subjects could @in up directly and perform complex tasks with minimal malaise, little decrement in performance, and rapid adaptation? at rates that far exceeded the accepted envelope. At 12 RM and 20 feet from the spin axis, the inertial resultant is approaching 1.5 g, which vas felt sufficient to constitute an experimental artifact. ‘ne next step has been to increase the time exposure on a revolving stable platform. This resulted in the 4man, 5-day test at 6 RPM, waich is to be reported here. Six RPM was chosen for several reasons: (1) the g-artifact at 19-foot radius would still be only 0.053 (2) this would be a realistic angular velocity for the small radius state-of-the-art station, providing 0.5 g at 40 feet, and would also be within Loret's! lover limit of 0.28 g at 2h fect; and (3) published york! had shown that subjects could tolerate extended exposures to angular yelocities as high as 5-4 RPM. If 6 RPM proved to be a gocd baseline, the study could then proceed to programming instability profiles into additional exposures at this RPM.METHODS Four subjects were divided into two teams, each with one psychologist and one physiologist. Subject ages ranged from 26 years to 37 years and ell passed Class II flight physical. To alleviate apprehension the subjects were exposed to three, one-hour exposures at 6 RPM--two during test veek minus two, and one during test week aims one. For the test, subjects entered the MRSSS 48 hours prior to spin-up; they were then rotated for 120 continuous hours (in sequence: 4 hours at 2 RAM, 4 hours at 4 RPM, 104 hours at 6 RPM, 4 sours at RPM, terminating with 4 hours at 2 REM). The inertial resultant of centrifugal and gravity were always normal to the center of the floor. Forty-eight hours of post-rotetory testing wes scheduled, but because of the ease of re-adaptation this was shortened to 6 hours. the step-wise spin-up and spin-down was chosen to increase the assurance that neither the rotatory nor post-rotatory testing would have to be aborted due to severe physiologic reactions. Such a graduated transition is entirely realistic for @ rotating space vehicle. A two-week treining period preceded the test. Subjects vere tested to approach an asymptotic performance platem:, and monitored physiologically to establish @ baseline. During the test, teams observed an elternating four-hour vork-rest cycle, one team testing while the other slept, ate or relaxed. “his schedule allowed repetition of all tests every 16 hours, some every 8 hours. Medical nonitoring included regular recording of blood pressures, oral temperatures, HOG traces and respiration rates. The subjects in the test chamber vere in constent view through a television monitor. Blood and urine samples vereteken for subsequent biochemical analysis before, during, und after rotation. Chemistries were performed by an outside comercial leboretory. Bofunctional Testing. Calorie Test: Fifty ce of 20°C water vas syringed into the ear at 1 cc/second in a darkened room, the response ves measured as duration of resulting oculogyral illusion. Oculogyral Illusion Test: Subjects vere constrained by @ bite-bar and performed four head rotations about the X craniel axis in interrupted sequence (to and from 5° to the right, end to and from 70° to the left). Response was meesured from subject's verbal description of dizection, magnitude and duration of displacenent of an illusinated terget in @ darkened room, ‘The sane target vas used for the caloric test. Digital Propricception: A quantitative past-pointing test that requires the subject to keep his eyes closed while pointing in a radial direction at the center of a vertical grid, bending to touch his shoe, end returning to point at the grid center a second time. The bending end return are done to the L-second beat of a metronome. Steadiness: The hand probe was held ine hole for ten seconds vith e minimum munber of touches. Blind Tandem Walking: Heel-to-toe radial velking on floor grid, forvard five steps toward spin axis then backward five steps oway from axis. Arms are folded against the chest. Stethoscope ear pieces were used to insure that sounds were transmitted synmetricallyto both ears, eliminating this as a cause of tropic unbalance. Visual Tandem Walking: Same test as preceding, but with eyes open. Blind Tandem Standing: Heel-to-toe standing, facing spin axis. Same postural constraints es in walking tests. Subject scored on number of secords in balance, up to 60. Logical Infer~ ence Tester (LOGIT): An instrument designed to assess higher mental processes, 4 including reasoning, memory and decision akills. LocrT’* requires that the subject jearn in a minimum number of moves an unknown 20-light sequence, he is scored by recording the number of moves required. Time Estimation: ‘he subjects were asked to estimate a time interval by pressing the time clock actuation button A standard test ves used to assess the and the error was recorded. Math Test: efficiency of problem solving. The test presented a large number of arithmetic problems, each requiring addition, subtraction, miltiplication and division, for solution in a 15-minute time period. ‘The primary diet consisted of freeze-dry space food provided by the Pillsbury company and was found quite acceptable; all subjects agreed the quality of this food proved to be excellent. If other ingestibles were desired--milk, fruit, ice cream, sandwiches, pastries, etc.--taey were transferred aboard.the subjective habituation of the subjects as a function of exposure time is stom in Figure 3. The subject's feelings of habituation--based upon his diary and onboard medical history--measure his votal feeling of adjustment to the environment and seemed to correlate with appetite. By the end of 34 to 4 days lof rotation, three of the four subjects felt as well as they would under “conventional circumstances. They were then able to make any movement without Gisorientation or stomach awareness resulting. The subjects are listed alphabetically in decreasing ability for overall subjective adaptation. Th» jetters A, B, C and D designate the same subjects in subsequent graphs. (me data are presented on individuals as well as showing the mean value as a heavy black line. This was done to avoid the problems involved with small number statistics on data from subjects who occasionally missed tests end where two of the subjects ere offset from the others on a time basis. Several of the tests, reported elsewhere, have not been included in this report 12 = Oculogyral Illusion Test. Figure 4 suggests that little correlation cen be drawn between the OGI response and a subject's ability to tolerate a roteting environment. The decrement in OGL response with time seems indicative of lebyrinthine habituation and is consistert with the observations of other workers??? 26 ‘he caloric responses of subjects did not show decrement, and even on the lth and 5th days of rotation, intense caloric responses lasting 3 and 4 minutes were reported. Assuming an endolymph-mediateé caloric response, the decrement in OGT suggests that habituation is apparently « central phenomenon, from which the caloric response is qualitatively excluded.Digital Proprioception. Figure 5 graphs the miss distance as a function of exposure time; with the start of spindown, the direction of misses became 180° opposed to that of preceding test trials. Digital proprioception was one of two teste that showed post-rotation decrement. It is interesting thet this decrement occurred when the subjects felt "completely" re-adapted to the normal environment. For comparison of subjects, this test correlated very well with their ability to adapt. Tandem Walking With Byes Open. Figure 6 indicates that with vision the subjects exhibited a rapid adeptation. The adaptation in this test also shows sone correlation vith overall habituation. Tandem Walking With Eyes Closed. Figure 7 shows the marked reduction in ability to adapt to precise locomotions in a rotating environment when vision ja not available. With the exception of Subject B, all subjects showed decrement jn this test throughout rotation. Tandem Standing With Eyes Closed. Figure 8; the subjects were unable to perform this test with any facility at 6 RPM and no improvement occurred with time. Only this test and the digital proprioception test showed post-rotation decrement, and when post-rotation testing was concluded at the end of 8 hours, the ability to stand tandemly with eyes closed was still less than normal. Both tests are perfromed with the subjects standing in one spot with their eyes closed. ‘The deletion of vision and kinenatic stimilus to the deep proprioceptors may account for the sensitivity of these tests to the inertiel change. Biochemistry. All blood properties stayed within the normal range of values (table I). Keto-steroiés and catacholamines show a rise within that range during the period of rotation. The high catecholamine value for subject A probably a lead reflects the agitation he experienced during test preparation as he w person in the arrangements.‘The irregularities of this curve (Figure 9) appear largely due to transitory periods of unsteadiness rather than to gradual changes. Such deviations may possibly be explained by the vibrations in the cabin from other subjects making sudden movenents such as jumping from the upper bunk, closing the door, ete. It does not seem that there is a significant change from the pretest value in the ability to perform the test. Logit. Adequate pre-training was accomplished for only tvo of the subjects; the data for these two subjects expressed as average mumber of correct responses per trial for the five trials allowed to solve each problem are shown in Figure 10. The plot of the mean indicates that the environment did not greatly lover mental processes required for this test. With the exception of a few points, the data show considerable stability, particularly from the midpoint of the fourth day to the end of the test. The test appears to be a useful tool end more work vith it in stress environments is to be encouraged. Math ‘The data in Figure 11 reveals e high degree of stability in spite of the stress imposed by the experiment. If any trend is detectable it would be an apparent gradual improvement in performance from the middle of the second day of rotation to the mid-point of the fifth day. ‘The gradual deteriora- tion of performance from this point on to the end of the test may reflect @ loss of motivation or inereased distraction associated vith the anticipated end of the test. 10.DISCUSSION By the second day, all subjects reported rormal appetites and the entire crew began the "space food" diet. For the supper just prior to spin down, a feast of charcoal-broiled steaks, baked potatoes, tossed salad and garlic bread we transferred aboard. The meal was thoroughly enjoyed and no stomach awareness resulted in any subject during spindown. Other than the two tests that were performed with the eyes closed, the subjects performed effectively. Coupled to their performance capability vere the surprising phenomena of "complete" habituation and nc apparent need for static re-adaptation with the step-wise spindown. One explanation of the adaptation that took place in all subjects would be that they were rejecting the information from the vestibular organs in order to avoid a conflict in the sensory inputs between vision and vestibular organs. A considerable amount of vork will be required to substantiate this hypothesis. ‘The observations made during this test would indicate that the angular velocity ceiling for a completely stable rotating spacecraft design may be safely raised to 6 RPM. It is at this RPM that studies will be initiated to determine ‘the stability dimensions of the bio-functional envelope of a rotating space vehicle. Appreciation is expressed to J. Milligan, A. Wolgin, and J. Piatt for acting as subjects and for contributing many weful suggestions during the experiment. un3. lo. lz. REFERENCES Loret, B. J. Optimization of Space Vehicle Design With Respect to Artificial Gravity. herospece Medical Journal 34(5):430, 1963. Dole, S. H. Design Criteria for Rotating Space Vehicles. Research Nemo 2668, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, October 18, 1960. Graybiel, A. Observations on Human Subjects Living in a "Slow Rotation Room" for Periods of vo Days. A.MsAs Archives of Neurology, 3:55, 1960. Mayo, A. F., and Nolan, J. P., Jr. Bioengineering and Bioinstrumentation. In Bioastronautics. Schaefer, K. E., ed. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1965, p. 253. Clark, C. C., and Hardy, J. Gravity Froblems in Manned Space Stations. In Proceedings of the Manned Space Stations Symposium. Inst. of Aeronaut. Sciences, April 22, 1960. Larson, C. A. Space Station Design Parameter Effects on Artificial G Field. ATAA Journal, pp. 1454-55, August 1964. Kurshals, P. R. Adams, J. J., and Hodge, W. F. Space-Station Dynamics and Control.’ In A Report On the Research and Technological Problems of Manned Rotating Spacceraf's. AGA Technical Note D-1504, Langley Research Center, August, 1962. Brady, J. P., and Newsom, B. D. Large Excursion Rotary Tracking of Terget and Target Light in a Space Station Simlator Revolving at 7-5, 10.0, and 12.0 RPM. Aerospace Medical Journal 3: 332, April 1965. Newsom, B. D., Brady, J. F., and Goble, G. J. Equilibrium and Walking Changes Observed at 5, 74, 10 and 12 RPM in the Revolving Space Station Simulator. Aerospace Medical Journal, 36:322, April 1965. Newsom, B. D., and Brady, J. F. Observations on Subjects Exposed to Prolonged Rotation in a Space Station Simlator. Symposium on the Hole of the Vestibular Organs in the Exploration of Space. Pensacola Fla., January 19, 1965. Clark, B. and Graybiel, A. Human Performance During Adaptation to Stress in the Pensacola Slow Rotation Room. Aerospace Med., 32:93, 1961. Brady, J. P., and Newsom, B. D. Gain in Auditory Acuity During Prolonged Fotetory Vestibular Stimiation. GD/C-ERR-AN-730. qe.13. as. 5. 16. safer, Wm. A., Newson, B.D, and Brady, J.P. Five-Day Exposure to 8ix RPM in the Manned Revolving Space Station Similator--Medical Nonstoring and Blochemical Summary. GD/C-BRR-AN=659. French, R. S., and Piatt, J. L. RATER and LOGIT: Devices for Assessing crew Efficiency Under Stress. GDA-ERR-AN-HO8, General Dynanics/Convair. December 1, 1963. Grayoiel, A-, Guedry, F., and Johnsor, W. Adaptation to Bizarre Stimlation of the Semicireular Canals as Indicated by the Oculosyr Tlusion. Hep. No. Woh, U.S. Army Medical Res. Lab., Fort Knox, Feoruazy 23, 1964. Guedry, F. B., Graybiel, A., and Collins, W. B. Reduction of Nystagmus fand Disorientation in Human Subjects. Aerospace Med., 33:1356, 1962.STABILITY AS A DESIGN FACTOR ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY SPACE STATIONS Rates (°/sec Aes (8) Amplitude (©) a, by vee 0 ‘FUNCTION OF RADIUS Fig. 1e@sT24499 wory pepuadsng royeTMTS +MRSSS 5-DAY ROTATION SUBJECLIVE WELL-BEING PERCENT BASELINE WELL-BEING VS DAYS ROLATION 10 7 ; : A /] STATIC PERCENT. BASELINE VELL-BEING Days Fig.36 10 MEAN ILWSION DURATION (IN SEC.) FOR FOR 4 HEAD ‘TURNS, MRSSS 5-DAY ROTATION OCULO-GYRAL ILWSION TEST ILWSION DURATION VERSUS DAYS ROTATION & to 450R g to TOL ZA STATICBewe MRSSS 5-DAY ROTATION DIGITAL PROPRIOCEPTION TEST ERROR IN INCHES VS DAYS ROLATIONMRSSS 5-DAY ROTATION ‘TANDEM WALKING TEST WITH EYES OPEN STEPS COMPLEVED VS DAYS ROTATION Z STATIC 4MRSSS 5-DAY ROTALION ‘TANDEM WALKING WITH EYES CLOSED STEPS COMPLETED VS DAYS ROTATION REMMRSSS 5-DAY ROTATION ‘TANDEM STANDING WITH EYES CLOSED BALANCE TIME VS DAYS ROTATION sevonns° BALANCEAVERAGE, NUMBER contacts MRSS 5-DAY ROTATION STEADINESS TEST AVERAGE NUMBER CONTACTS VS. DAYS ROTATION Zl STATIC 4 anfMSL 5-DAY ROLALTON LOGICAL INVERENCE WESt (LOGTI) AVERAGE CORRECD RESPONSE CORRECE FELPONLE 20 10MRSSS 5-DAY TEST MATHEMATICS TEST ‘TOTAL CORRECT PROBLEMS VS DAYS ROTATIONMRSSS 5-DAY ROTATION TIME ESTIMATION TEST AVERAGE PER CENT ERROR VS DAYS ROTATION Fig. 12Subject A. Prerot. 6 REM Postrot.. | 3. Prerot. 6 FEM Post rot. c. Perot. 6 FEM Postrot. D. Prerot. 6 eM Postrot. Biochemistry Blood uric M-Keto Cat. Amin, Het gp © Chol Acid. «Ga Na K = mip/ey __me/day Mh kg 19a 9.2 137 eT 218 5.5 32d 9.3 le ag, 12 133, 115 4312 Ok LE 10,5 a 28 139 4515.2 ld 506 10-1 a5 16.4 258 6.1 «10.6 «ks 520, 27 190, 204 16.0 215 5.8 9.9 Iho 3.9 10 110 16.6 205K 9:8 139 4o 1 151 16.6 200 7.1 105 16 4.8 9, 18 143, 235 M5 15259 62 10,0 13T Oa 150 Mo 5.7 TT 3-9 2B 90 16.2 156 5.4 10,0139 5, 9 188, 96 496.0523 120 Teble T