Some aspects of psychophysiological support of crewmember's performance reliability in space flight

Crewmembers play an important role in ensuring the efficiency of "crew-spacecraft" system. However, despite of the fact that crewmembers are well trained and highly motivated persons, extreme flight factors may influence negatively on their reliability, and lead to human error occurrence. Therefore, working out methods of human error prevention is very significant to increase crewmember's performance reliability. Human error can occur in the operation of systems for a number of reasons. Within the framework of the present investigation, with use the data collected during "Mir" station missions, the significant (p<0.05) positive correlation of crewmembers errors (CE) frequency with their psychophysiological state (PPS), and work and rest schedule (WRS) intensity has been revealed. Differently, the higher WRS intensity, the crewmember's PPS is worse, and CE frequency is higher. This finding has been based on substantiations of the approach to human reliability management. Its essence will consist of the following: reducing WRS intensity, we thus can improve a crewmember's PPS and, accordingly, reduce CE frequency. This approach is discussed in the paper.     

Work and rest planning as a way of crew member error management.

Human error prevention is very important to support the safety and efficiency of human-machine systems. The approach to space crew member management error is considered in this paper. The data collected during 14 "Mir" station missions were analyzed to substantiate this approach. As a result of data processing, the significant (p<0.05) correlation of crew member errors with work and rest schedule tensity has been revealed. This finding was used to work out the mathematical model describing the dependence between the frequency (the probability) of crew member errors and work and rest schedule tensity. Based on the model, the algorithm of error management by means of efficient planning of crew members' work has been developed. The suggested approach may be used equally with other methods to raise the reliability of human-operator performance. Grant numbers: NAS-15-10110.     

CMB anisotropy testing from small satellites

We review the advantages and possibilities of small satellites. New results of data reduction of the satellite-borne experiment RELICT-1 are presented. For the inflation spectrum of primordial perturbations we obtained the estimate for quadrupole component 6·10⁻⁶ <ΔT₂/T<3.3·10⁻⁶. The RELICT-2 mission will provide a possibility of measurement of CBR anisotropy down to the level less than ΔT₂/T = 10⁻⁸. We present the results of engineering testing of RELICT-2 measurement system and discuss ways of improving of the radiometers sensitivities.     

Thermal neutrons’ response to the GLEs

Thermal neutrons’ flux near the Earth’s crust is very sensitive regarding different processes and phenomena both in the near-Earth space and in the Earth’s crust by reason of the dual nature of the thermal neutron flux. Its first source is associated with high-energy particles of cosmic rays penetrating into the Earth’s atmosphere and interacting with its elements. The second source originates from the radioactive gases contained in the Earth’s crust. So the contributions of these two sources are specified by the Earth’s crust conditions and its movements, on one hand and variations of high-energy particles flux near the Earth.     

Near-Equatorial Electrons as Measured onboard the MirSpace Station

Some results of studying the electrons with energies of tens to hundreds of keV at the low and near- equatorial geomagnetic latitudes by using the instruments Sprut-V and Ryabina-2 onboard the Mirspace station in 1991 are presented. It is found that at L< 1.2 the enhanced electron fluxes are sporadically detected, being localized within three longitudinal intervals, 180° W–0°–15° E, 90°– 120° E, and 160° E–180°–135° W. The most intense electron fluxes are observed at the lower edge of the near-equatorial boundary of the inner radiation belt on longitudes of the South Atlantic Anomaly between 14 and 20 h MLT. The occurrence of electron bursts does not depend on the geomagnetic disturbance level. A hardening of the electron spectra is observed near the geomagnetic equator. At L< 1.1, the more energetic particles are located closer to the geomagnetic equator. The results are compared with the data on the low-frequency waves and fields at low and near-equatorial latitudes obtained by the Ariel-4and San Marco Dsatellites, as well as by the spacecraft and ground-based observations of the thunderstorm global distribution. The thunderstorms are considered as a possible source of electron production near the geomagnetic equator.     

Ozone chemical equilibrium in the extended mesopause under the nighttime conditions

For retrieval of atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen via ozone observations in the extended mesopause region (～70–100?km) under nighttime conditions, an assumption on photochemical equilibrium of ozone is often used in research. In this work, an assumption on chemical equilibrium of ozone near mesopause region during nighttime is proofed. We examine 3D chemistry-transport model (CTM) annual calculations and determine the ratio between the correct (modeled) distributions of the O₃ density and its equilibrium values depending on the altitude, latitude, and season.The results show that the retrieval of atomic oxygen and atomic hydrogen distributions using an assumption on ozone chemical equilibrium may lead to large errors below ～81–87?km. We give simple and clear semi-empirical criterion for practical utilization of the lower boundary of the area with ozone’s chemical equilibrium near mesopause.     

Distribution of energetic particles and secondary radiation according to orbital station “MIR” data obtained in 1991

A set of instruments for measuring energetic particle fluxes, containing two neutron detectors under different plexiglas shielding thicknesses, a scintillation detector, measuring energy release >0. I MeV and 0.5 MeV and a Geiger counter were launched onboard OS ‘MIR’. The latitude dependencies of the cosmic ray measurements were obtained and studied. The distributions of primary particle fluxes (protons and electrons) as well as secondary particle fluxes (bremsstrahlung gamma-rays and neutrons) produced in interactions of radiation belt particles with the station materials were obtained. The electron belt, generated during the storm of March 24 1991, is studied.     

Methodological approach to study of cosmonauts errors and its instrumental support

The methodological approach to the study of cosmonauts errors is discussed in the paper. Within its framework an error is considered in psychophysiological aspect as consequence of cosmonaut "psychophysiological troubles" caused by combined effect of flight extreme conditions on his/her organism. This approach was used for the investigation of interrelation between cosmonauts errors, their psychophysiological state and work-rest schedule peculiarities. It includes procedures of expert analysis of data received in the course of radio and TV sessions with crew, analysis of timelines as well deviations in "crew-spacecraft" system functioning. These data are accumulated, systematized and processed in data base. Realization of the suggested approach does not require specialized onboard equipment and crew members time expenditure. Some results of inflight data analysis are presented to illustrate its potentials.