Controlled user study on the role of situational awareness in design decisions for future lunar In-situ resource utilization systems

As human exploration of the Moon and Mars transitions from temporary missions to long-term habitation, in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) is expected to play a pivotal role in enabling future sustainable economic and scientific activities in space. Designing and operating ISRU systems under such extreme and uncertain conditions, however, presents major challenges, ranging from dealing with harsh environmental conditions, regulatory complexity, to differing stakeholder risk tolerance profiles and unpredictable technological system behavior. This study introduces a novel experimental methodology to investigate how human factors playing an important role in situational awareness can influence ISRU-related design decision-making and associated performance under uncertainty. Specifically, this study addresses the following research question: What are the main and interaction effects of different levels of visual fidelity and emotional cues on users’ ability to manage remote lunar resource production systems under uncertainty? A controlled user study involving 33 participants used a serious game platform to explore the effects of two key variables: visual fidelity of the simulation and presence of emotional cues. In a realistic though simplified mission, participants were tasked with operating a simulated lunar ISRU system to supply water sustainably to a lunar habitat. Results show that emotional cues can significantly enhance participants’ performance, measured through a novel operational sustainability metric, particularly in low-fidelity visual environments. The results provide no evidence of statistically significant correlation between situational awareness and system performance. These findings highlight the importance of immersive and affective elements in simulation-based training platforms. The proposed methodology provides a structured, replicable framework to evaluate decision-making in complex space systems, and offers valuable insights into how future ISRU operators, mission architects, and economic actors might be trained more effectively by leveraging immersive technologies like digital twins and virtual reality. Beyond space applications, the approach has potential for broader use in Earth-based industries facing similar operational uncertainties, such as mining in remote conditions and resource production infrastructures. • Novel experimental approach to study human factors in space system design. • Controlled user study involving 33 participants tasked with simulated lunar ISRU mission. • Emotional cues boosted sustainability performance, especially under low visual fidelity. • Strong link found between situational awareness and mission sustainability performance. • Work needed on immersive tech for system operator training in extreme environments.