GeoLab Hardware Operational Testing and Evaluation: As Integrated into NASA's 2010 Habitat Demonstration Unit 1 --- Pressurized Excursion Module

The 2010 HDU1-PEM was a one-year rapid prototype build that featured four main workstations inside a 5 m diameter habitat. This included an extravehicular activities (EVA) maintenance workstation, general maintenance workstation, medical operations workstation, and a geological laboratory workstation, named GeoLab (fig. 2). GeoLab was designed to provide preliminary examination and characterization of geologic material collected by two rover teams inside an analog isolation containment system glovebox to help scientists prioritize samples for return to Earth [1,2]. In addition, GeoLab provided a testbed for advanced curation operational concepts and procedures for sample storage containment, preventing cross-contamination and preserving sample integrity for Earth-based scientific study [3]. GeoLab hardware testing and design evaluation was conducted at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) and DRATS to provide the HDU1-PEM and GeoLab curation team with user metrics and lessons learned for designing the next generation habitat and GeoLab configuration [3]. GeoLab Hardware Design: GeoLab was designed to provide a workstation and analog isolation containment system for preliminary examination, curation decisions, and return to Earth prioritization of geologic material collected on a planetary surface. The GeoLab was also designed to be easily reconfigured for testing different instruments – including tests of operational considerations and analytical benefits of specific instruments for preliminary examination of samples. [4,5].