Concepts for Improving the Flight Crews Work Environment within the Esa's Attached Lab

Man's presence in space has proved to be an extremely valuable asset. During the past thirty years of manned space flight there have been numerous instances where man's ingenuity, fortitude, ability to deal with the unexpected, weigh risks, anticipate potential problems, and propose potential solutions have been largely responsible for the success of the mission. Nevertheless, the value of man in space is limited; for it is largely determined by how much he can produce; his productivity, in turn, is determined not only by the intrinsic abilities that he brings to the job, but also by the work environment provided him. In short, it is the intent of this paper to discuss some of the concepts and recommendations under consideration by the Columbus Program's Crew Activities Office for improving the productivity of the flight crews' work environment; where gains in productivity are defined in terms of increased crew efficiency, decreased crew error, and decreased crew training requirements. In doing so, this p...