Challenges and Opportunities for Inclusive Space Missions

TL;DR

This paper advocates for inclusive design in space missions by involving people with impairments, aiming to create systems accessible to all astronauts, including those with temporary or situational impairments caused by space conditions.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of integrating people with impairments into the design process of space systems to enhance accessibility and functionality during long missions.

Findings

Proposed solutions for various impairment types.

Designed systems usable by astronauts with temporary impairments.

Highlighted benefits of inclusive design in space missions.

Abstract

People with impairments are not able to participate in space missions. However, this is not because they cannot; instead, spacecraft have not been designed for them. Therefore, instead of simply excluding people with impairments, they should be included in the design process. This may also help astronauts suffering from fatigue or accidents. Indeed, several impairments can occur due to the effects of microgravity on the body and psychological factors during long space missions. In this paper, we describe the idea of including people with all types of impairments in the design process of interactive space systems to obtain, as a result, systems that can also be used by astronauts suffering from a temporary or situational impairment during a long space flight. To this end, we have described solutions for some types of impairments to ensure the use of interactive systems with permanent, temporary, or situational impairments. The benefits from the participation of people with impairments also bring the idea of inclusion in space a bit closer: supporting people with impairments in space by designing appropriate systems that make space accessible.