# Using Virtual Reality to Shape Humanity's Return to the Moon: Key Takeaways from a Design Study

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how Virtual Reality can be used to simulate lunar exploration scenarios, enabling user-centered design methods in space system development, which traditionally relies on resource-intensive analogue studies.

## Contribution

It demonstrates the effectiveness of VR in facilitating user-centered design and coordination in lunar system development, a novel approach in space engineering.

## Key findings

- VR enables efficient contextual inquiries for lunar design.
- VR improves project team coordination during lunar system development.
- Qualitative evidence supports VR's role in enhancing UCD in space projects.

## Abstract

Revived interest in lunar exploration is heralding a new generation of design solutions in support of human operations on the Moon. While space system design has traditionally been guided by prototype deployments in analogue studies, the resource-intensive nature of this approach has largely precluded application of proficient user-centered design (UCD) methods from human-computer interaction (HCI). This paper explores possible use of Virtual Reality (VR) to simulate analogue studies in lab settings and thereby bring to bear UCD in this otherwise engineering-dominated field. Drawing on the ongoing development of the European Large Logistics Lander, we have recreated a prospective lunar operational scenario in VR and evaluated it with a group of astronauts and space experts (n=20). Our qualitative findings demonstrate the efficacy of VR in facilitating UCD, enabling efficient contextual inquiries and improving project team coordination. We conclude by proposing future directions to further exploit VR in lunar systems design.