MobiPV used on Board the International Space Station to Support Installing a Life Support System.
The mobile procedure viewer (mobiPV) system, of which Skytek was one of the technical development teams, was used on board to support the installation of ESA’s next-generation life-support system on the International Space Station. The new facility recycles carbon dioxide in the air into water that can then be converted into oxygen reducing supplies sent from Earth by half.
The installation was performed by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst when he was commander of the ISS. During the complex two-hour task, Alexander set up the air and water drawer of the facility, including part of the Sabatier reactor. The mobiPV system was mounted via a mobile device on his wrist so that he could access operational instructions and communicate easily with ground control. During the installation, three sites in Germany were all connected and were able to view the installation and provide assistance through mobiPV when needed as Alexander progressed step-by-step. These ground stations were the Columbus Control Centre near Munich, the European Astronaut Centre near Cologne and the facilities’ manufacturer Airbus in Friedrichshafen.
The successful usage of mobiPV during this installation task shows how wearable and new modes of operations such as Augmented Reality can benefit and support astronauts on future missions.
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