Habitability in Space

Over the last 40 years NASA has made great strides in creating habitable environments that support long-term space exploration. Most recently, the Skylab, Mir, and International Space Station exploration endeavors have provided NASA with a wealth of lessons learned to be carried forth to the new national vision for space exploration: “to the moon, Mars and beyond.” This paper will focus on the challenges and successes associated with creating a safe, functional, and productive environment for the human being living in space for an extended length of time. Specifically, the authors will be focusing on the issues surrounding habitation in space including: crew sleeping quarters, food preparation and dining facilities, exercise countermeasures, personal hygiene and waste collection, crew leisure time, and internal vehicle configuration. The lessons learned will be used to make recommendations for future long term space exploration.