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PROJECT SCOPE_
The project design brief focused on the overall interior layout of a space capsule much like the future lunar Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) ‘Orion’ envisioned by NASA for its Constellation Program. The design brief also included creation of design criteria and ideas for specific parts of the capsule interior. It must be noted that the TOVA is not the CEV, but an imaginary capsule similar to the CEV.

The design team adopted an approach that was human-factors oriented. The human interface with the capsule interior was the starting point for all analyses and design.

The project dealt with issues of (a) how to various entities within a specified space relate to each other, and (b) how to make the perceived and usable space as large as possible. The design of the capsule interior was made keeping in mind the outer dimensions of the capsule, the mission profile and various technical aspects.

The design team found that ‘orientation’ is crucial for the usability of the space in microgravity. They decided to use innovative ‘stowage’ design to create a sense of ‘direction’ inside the capsule to keep the crew oriented. They came up with a design that has two operational modes:

Launch & Landing Mode: with the seats in position, and
Microgravity Mode: with the seats stowed and control panel flipped along the wall for use in the ‘up’ direction.

They also created a ‘Privacy Mode’ to compensate for the lack of physical privacy in such a cramped space. All features were oriented in coherence with the interior direction and located close to where they should be used.

The design team also dealt with issues such as (a) placement of windows for psychological well-being and practical use, and (b) design of the toilet to make it as invisible as possible.

Developed by : Its Lemon