Imagery for CHAPEA Sandbox Cyclorama.
In the start of 2022 Afterconcepts, was awarded a subcontract supporting the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) to deliver high-resolution realistic imagery portraying a Mars-like landscape to improve the fidelity of the simulation of the CHAPEA project. , at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. This project was completed as part of NASA’S Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) and the one-year-long analogue missions are anticipated to begin in Fall 2022.
CHAPEA Project.
( Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog )
CHAPEA is a series of analogue missions that will simulate year-long stays on the surface of Mars. Each mission will consist of four crew members living in Mars Dune Alpha, an isolated 1,700-square-foot habitat. During the mission, the crew will conduct simulated spacewalks and provide data on a variety of factors, which may include physical and behavioural health and performance.
The major crew activities during the analogue may consist of simulated spacewalks including virtual reality, communications, crop growth, meal preparation and consumption, exercise, hygiene activities, maintenance work, personal time, science work, and sleep.
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CHANGE
ROOM
WC
SHOWER
WORK
ROOM
FITNESS
ROWING
MACHINE
STATIC
BIKE
TREATMENT
ROOM
ROBOT-r
STATION
55" SCREEN
55" SCREEN
KITCHEN
RECREATION
CROP AREA
CREW
QUARTER -1
CREW
QUARTER -2
CREW
QUARTER -3
CREW
QUARTER -4
AERO G
AERO G
AERO G
WC
SHOWER
AERO G
STG
STG
STG
CROP AREA
A 3D-printed habitat, known as Mars Dune Alpha, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. ICON utilized the Vulcan construction system to complete a 1,700 square-foot structure, designed by architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), that will simulate a realistic Mars habitat supporting long-duration, exploration-class space missions.
Alpha Dune - Sand Box.
Aplha Dune
Sand box -Cyclorama
MUSCLE WALL ( CONTAINMENT BARRICADES)
POGO
for EVA
AIR-LOCK
SAND BOX
RAMP
In order to maintain isolation of the Crew Health and Performance Analog (CHAPEA) crew members during simulated extra-vehicular activities (EVA) exercises in the CHAPEA facility sandbox, an inflatable cyclorama has been designed to enclose the sandbox.
EVA is any activity performed by a pressure-suited crewmember in unpressurized or space environments. EVA begins with depressurization of the airlock or space module and ends with repressurization of the space module or airlock after crewmember ingress. This includes any internal activities where a pressure-suited crewmember may be operating in normal modes of operation (e.g., airlocks, passageways, unpressurized work areas, donning/doffing areas) and abnormal modes of operation (e.g., unpressurized modules).
Brief
To generate high-resolution realistic graphic imagery portraying a Mars-like landscape to be printed on the interior of the inflatable cyclorama.
1
2
3
5
4
6
7
7
8
8
The cyclorama covering the sandbox is divided into referrable sections. Section 1 is parallel to the outside wall of the habitat and section 6 is parallel to the airlock.
7
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
14 ft
25 ft
59 ft
Given Critrea
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The imagery shall be generally cohesive and seamless across the different sections of the cyclorama to create a high-fidelity simulation. Some small areas of interface with structure or sharp corners will be allowed some discontinuities where they cannot be avoided.
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The top sections of the cyclorama, sections 7 and 8 have translucent White fabric that can be backlit with various color LED in order to simulate various sky conditions such as normal daylight (“butterscotch-like” color), morning and evening (a “dusty blue like” horizon in the direction of the sun), or a “dusty mars red” color for the entire sky to simulate a mars sandstorm condition.
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The imagery shall integrate in color with the color of the sand that has already been installed in the sandbox.
Reference Data from NASA’s Perseverance rover and Ingenuity mars helicopter.
Sky in the background of the Kodiak Hills.
Rocky landscape
image from Masrcam -z.
ridgeline on Jezero Crater.
Multiple iterations of the Mars environment were generated using the open-source software "Blender" while adapting and colour correcting the materials and textures that are presented in the scenery to match the provided references from the preservance mission and pictures of the sand filled in the sandbox.
14 ft
The imagery simulates that being in the bottom of a canyon or valley was given the height constraint of 8ft.The canyon/valley wall has a vertical height of ≤8 feet to not have the canyon walls caving in on the person due to the curvature of the cyclorama.
The canyon/valley walls stretch the entire length of sections 1 (~25 feet), 2 (~14 feet) & 3 (~59 feet). Other sections 4,5,6 shall have complimentary Mars scenery, with different typical mars scenes. Loose and scattered rocks in the imagery nearest the floor areas will help visually obscure hard interfaces and corners and are recommended.
59 ft
25 ft
Backlit ransparent white fabric.
The top sections of the cyclorama, sections 7 and 8l have translucent White fabric that can be backlit with various color LED in order to simulate various sky conditions such as normal daylight (“butterscotch-like” color), morning and evening (a “dusty blue like” horizon in the direction of the sun), or a “dusty mars red” color for the entire sky to simulate a mars sandstorm condition.
Sample model image (without textures on sections 3,4,7and 8) of the encampment of cyclorama to depict the scale of the graphics on the cyclorama wall sections.
Alpha Dune Habitat.
Cyclorama-Sandbox
Virtual reality space
Final Cyclorama Visualization.
​The final imagery simulates that being at the bottom of a canyon or valley was given the height constraint of 8ft. The canyon/valley wall has a vertical height of ≤8 feet do not have the canyon walls caving in on the person due to the curvature of the cyclorama.
Perspective when standing in the southwest corner of the sandbox facing toward the north with the habitat and airlock on the left-hand side.
The virtual reality space that houses the POGO apparatus for simulating extra-vehicular activities (EVA) exercises in the CHAPEA facility sandbox.
Backlighting the canopy's translucent white fabric with various colour LEDs simulates a variety of sky conditions, including normal daylight ("butterscotch-like"), morning and evening (dusty blue horizons in the direction of the sun), or "dusty mars red".
Evening -Dust blue horizon.
Sandstorm - Dusty mars red.
