Document Open Access Logo

Movement in Low Gravity (MoLo) – LUNA: Biomechanical Modelling to Mitigate Lunar Surface Operation Risks

Author David Andrew Green

PDF HTML 5

Files

Thumbnail PDF
PDF
OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.26.pdf
  • Filesize: 411 kB
  • 11 pages
HTML5 Logo HTML (experimental)
OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.26.html

Document Identifiers

Subject Classification

ACM Subject Classification
  • Computing methodologies → Modeling and simulation
Keywords
  • Locomotion
  • hypogravity
  • modelling
  • Lunar

Metrics

Abstract

The Artemis programme seeks to develop and test concepts, hardware and approaches to support long term habitation of the Lunar surface, and future missions to Mars. In preparation for the Artemis missions determination of tasks to be performed, the functional requirements of such tasks and as mission duration extends whether physiological deconditioning becomes functionally significant, compromising the crew member’s ability to perform critical tasks on the surface, and/or upon return to earth [MoLo-LUNA – leveraging the Molo programme (and several other activities) - could become a key supporting activity for LUNA incl. validation of the Puppeteer offloading system itself via creation of a complementary MoLo-LUNA-LAB. Furthermore, the MoLo-LUNA programme could become a key facilitator of simulator suit instrumentation/definition, broader astronaut training activities and mission architecture development – including Artemis mission simulations. By employing a Puppeteer system external to the LUNA chamber hall it will optimise utilisation and cost-effectiveness of LUNA, and as such represents a critical service to future LUNA stakeholders. Furthermore, MoLo-LUNA would generate a unique data set that can be leveraged to predict de-conditioning on the Lunar surface - and thereby optimise functionality, and minimise mission risk – including informing the need for, and prescription of exercise countermeasures on the Lunar Surface and in transit. Thus, MoLo-LUNA offers a unique opportunity to place LUNA, and ESA as a key ongoing provider of evidence to define, optimise and support crew Artemis surface missions.

Cite As Get BibTex

David Andrew Green. Movement in Low Gravity (MoLo) – LUNA: Biomechanical Modelling to Mitigate Lunar Surface Operation Risks. In Advancing Human-Computer Interaction for Space Exploration (SpaceCHI 2025). Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), Volume 130, pp. 26:1-26:11, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2025) https://doi.org/10.4230/OASIcs.SpaceCHI.2025.26

Author Details

David Andrew Green
  • Space Medicine Team, European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency, Troisdorf, Germany

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all those that have contributed to the Movement in Low Gravity (MoLo) programme thus far, and all those that will contribute as we move forward.

References

  1. R McN Alexander. Optimization and gaits in the locomotion of vertebrates. Physiological reviews, 69(4):1199-1227, 1989. Google Scholar
  2. Håkan Alfredson, Peter Nordström, and Ronny Lorentzon. Prolonged progressive calcaneal bone loss despite early weightbearing rehabilitation in patients surgically treated for achilles tendinosis. Calcified tissue international, 62(2):166-171, 1998. Google Scholar
  3. Michael Skipper Andersen. Introduction to musculoskeletal modelling. In Computational modelling of biomechanics and biotribology in the musculoskeletal system, pages 41-80. Elsevier, 2021. Google Scholar
  4. Emanuel Andrada, Roy Müller, and Reinhard Blickhan. Stability in skipping gaits. Royal Society open science, 3(11):160602, 2016. Google Scholar
  5. Salil Apte, Michiel Plooij, and Heike Vallery. Influence of body weight unloading on human gait characteristics: a systematic review. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 15:1-18, 2018. Google Scholar
  6. Jeannie F Bailey, Priya Nyayapati, Gabriel TA Johnson, Lucas Dziesinski, Aaron W Scheffler, Rebecca Crawford, Richard Scheuring, Conor W O'Neill, Douglas Chang, Alan R Hargens, et al. Biomechanical changes in the lumbar spine following spaceflight and factors associated with postspaceflight disc herniation. The Spine Journal, 22(2):197-206, 2022. Google Scholar
  7. Susan A Bloomfield, Daniel A Martinez, Ramon D Boudreaux, and Anita V Mantri. Microgravity stress: bone and connective tissue. Compr. Physiol, 6(2):2, 2016. Google Scholar
  8. Alexander Breen, Philip Carvil, David Andrew Green, Thais Russomano, and Alan Breen. Effects of a microgravity skinsuit on lumbar geometry and kinematics. European Spine Journal, 32(3):839-847, 2023. Google Scholar
  9. Philip Carvil, Thais Russomano, Rafael Reimann Baptisa, Varsha Jain, Kirsty Lindsay, James Waldie, and David Andrew Green. Axial reloading during body weight unloading: Relationship between g-level and cardiorespiratory responses to running-a case study. Acta Astronautica, 210:29-35, 2023. Google Scholar
  10. Andrea EM Casini, Petra Mittler, Aidan Cowley, Lukas Schlüter, Marthe Faber, Beate Fischer, Melanie von der Wiesche, and Matthias Maurer. Lunar analogue facilities development at eac: the luna project. Journal of Space Safety Engineering, 7(4):510-518, 2020. Google Scholar
  11. Douglas G Chang, Robert M Healey, Alexander J Snyder, Jojo V Sayson, Brandon R Macias, Dezba G Coughlin, Jeannie F Bailey, Scott E Parazynski, Jeffrey C Lotz, and Alan R Hargens. Lumbar spine paraspinal muscle and intervertebral disc height changes in astronauts after long-duration spaceflight on the international space station. Spine, 41(24):1917-1924, 2016. Google Scholar
  12. Daniel J Cleather and John E Kennett. Mitigation of force and vibration transmission by the hifim jump sled during repeated jumping in microgravity. Microgravity Science and Technology, 36(4):38, 2024. Google Scholar
  13. Gilles Clément, Timothy R Macaulay, Austin Bollinger, Hannah Weiss, and Scott J Wood. Functional activities essential for space exploration performed in partial gravity during parabolic flight. npj Microgravity, 10(1):86, 2024. Google Scholar
  14. James Cowburn, Gil Serrancolí, Gaspare Pavei, Alberto Minetti, Aki Salo, Steffi Colyer, and Dario Cazzola. A novel computational framework for the estimation of internal musculoskeletal loading and muscle adaptation in hypogravity. Frontiers in physiology, 15:1329765, 2024. Google Scholar
  15. Enrico De Martino, David A Green, Daniel Ciampi de Andrade, Tobias Weber, and Nolan Herssens. Human movement in simulated hypogravity—bridging the gap between space research and terrestrial rehabilitation. Frontiers in Neurology, 14:1062349, 2023. Google Scholar
  16. Enrico De Martino, Sauro E Salomoni, Andrew Winnard, Kristofor McCarty, Kirsty Lindsay, Sherveen Riazati, Tobias Weber, Jonathan Scott, David A Green, Julie Hides, et al. Hypogravity reduces trunk admittance and lumbar muscle activation in response to external perturbations. Journal of Applied Physiology, 128(4):1044-1055, 2020. Google Scholar
  17. John K De Witt, Gail P Perusek, Jason Bentley, W Brent Edwards, Kelly M Gilkey, Beth E Lewandowski, Sergey Samorezov, Mark C Savina, and R Donald Hagan. Kinematic and electromyographic evaluation of locomotion on the enhanced zero-gravity locomotion simulator: A comparison of external loading mechanisms. US National Aeronautics and Space Administration TP-2007-214764. Hanover, MD: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, pages 1-27, 2008. Google Scholar
  18. John K De Witt, Gail P Perusek, Beth E Lewandowski, Kelly M Gilkey, Mark C Savina, Sergey Samorezov, and W Brent Edwards. Locomotion in simulated and real microgravity: horizontal suspension vs. parabolic flight. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 81(12):1092-1099, 2010. Google Scholar
  19. William P Ebben, McKenzie L Fauth, Clare E Kaufmann, and Erich J Petushek. Magnitude and rate of mechanical loading of a variety of exercise modes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(1):213-217, 2010. Google Scholar
  20. Victoria Sjøholt Engelschiøn, SR Eriksson, Aidan Cowley, Miranda Fateri, Alexandre Meurisse, Ulrich Kueppers, and Matthias Sperl. Eac-1a: A novel large-volume lunar regolith simulant. Scientific reports, 10(1):5473, 2020. Google Scholar
  21. Herre Faber, Arthur J Van Soest, and Dinant A Kistemaker. Inverse dynamics of mechanical multibody systems: An improved algorithm that ensures consistency between kinematics and external forces. PloS one, 13(9):e0204575, 2018. Google Scholar
  22. Arielle G Fischer and Alon Wolf. Body weight unloading modifications on frontal plane joint moments, impulses and center of pressure during overground gait. Clinical Biomechanics, 39:77-83, 2016. Google Scholar
  23. Robert H Fitts, SW Trappe, DL Costill, Philip M Gallagher, Andrew C Creer, PA Colloton, Jim R Peters, JG Romatowski, JL Bain, and Danny A Riley. Prolonged space flight-induced alterations in the structure and function of human skeletal muscle fibres. The Journal of physiology, 588(18):3567-3592, 2010. Google Scholar
  24. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Osteoporosis: assessing the risk of fragility fracture. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2012. Google Scholar
  25. KO Genc, R Gopalakrishnan, MM Kuklis, CC Maender, AJ Rice, KD Bowersox, and PR Cavanagh. Foot forces during exercise on the international space station. Journal of biomechanics, 43(15):3020-3027, 2010. Google Scholar
  26. TP Gosseye, Norman C Heglund, and PA Willems. Effect of the pull-down force magnitude on the external work during running in weightlessness on a treadmill. In 4th European Conference of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering: ECIFMBE 2008 23-27 November 2008 Antwerp, Belgium, pages 2116-2119. Springer, 2009. Google Scholar
  27. Alena M Grabowski and Rodger Kram. Effects of velocity and weight support on ground reaction forces and metabolic power during running. Journal of applied biomechanics, 24(3):288-297, 2008. Google Scholar
  28. David A Green and Jonathan PR Scott. Spinal health during unloading and reloading associated with spaceflight. Frontiers in Physiology, 8:1126, 2018. Google Scholar
  29. David Andrew Green, Nolan Herssens, Daniel Ciampi de Andrade, Tobias Weber, and Enrico De Martino. Human movement in simulated hypogravity-bridging the gap between space research and terrestrial rehabilitation, 2024. Google Scholar
  30. Alan R Hargens and Laurence Vico. Long-duration bed rest as an analog to microgravity. Journal of applied physiology, 120(8):891-903, 2016. Google Scholar
  31. RL Harris and AA Spady Jr. Effects of pressure suits and backpack loads on man’s self-locomotion in earth and simulated lunar gravity. Technical report, NASA, 1968. Google Scholar
  32. Nolan Herssens, James Cowburn, Kirsten Albracht, Bjoern Braunstein, Dario Cazzola, Steffi Colyer, Alberto E Minetti, Gaspare Pavei, Jörn Rittweger, Tobias Weber, et al. Movement in low gravity environments (molo) programme-the molo-loop study protocol. PloS one, 17(11):e0278051, 2022. Google Scholar
  33. JL Homick. Space adaptation syndrome: incidence and operational. Motion Sickness: Mechanisms, Prediction, Prevention and, 36:20, 1984. Google Scholar
  34. Jesse V Jacobs. A review of stairway falls and stair negotiation: Lessons learned and future needs to reduce injury. Gait & posture, 49:159-167, 2016. Google Scholar
  35. Gareth D Jones, Darren C James, Michael Thacker, Eleanor J Jones, and David A Green. Sit-to-walk and sit-to-stand-and-walk task dynamics are maintained during rising at an elevated seat-height independent of lead-limb in healthy individuals. Gait & posture, 48:226-229, 2016. Google Scholar
  36. Andreas Kramer, Albert Gollhofer, Gabriele Armbrecht, Dieter Felsenberg, and Markus Gruber. How to prevent the detrimental effects of two months of bed-rest on muscle, bone and cardiovascular system: an rct. Scientific reports, 7(1):13177, 2017. Google Scholar
  37. Charles Laing, David A Green, Edwin Mulder, Helmut Hinghofer-Szalkay, Andrew P Blaber, Joern Rittweger, and Nandu Goswami. Effect of novel short-arm human centrifugation-induced gravitational gradients upon cardiovascular responses, cerebral perfusion and g-tolerance. The Journal of physiology, 598(19):4237-4249, 2020. Google Scholar
  38. Milton Osiel Candela Leal, Dacia Martínez Díaz, Cecilia Orozco Romo, Aime Judith Aguilar Herrera, Jesús Eduardo Martínez Herrera, Arath Emmanuel Marín Ramírez, Luis Orlando Santos Cruz, César Francisco Cruz Gómez, Santiago Xavier Carrillo Ruiz, Erick Adrián Gutiérrez Flores, et al. Biomechanics digital twin: Markerless joint acceleration prediction using machine learning and computer vision. In 2023 Future of Educational Innovation-Workshop Series Data in Action, pages 1-8. IEEE, 2023. Google Scholar
  39. Xiaoyan Li and Alexander S Aruin. Anticipatory postural adjustments in conditions of simulated reduced gravity. Gait & posture, 28(4):538-544, 2008. Google Scholar
  40. Uwe Mittag, Andreas Kriechbaumer, and Jörn Rittweger. Torsion-an underestimated form shaping entity in bone adaptation? Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions, 18(4):407, 2018. Google Scholar
  41. Ajitkumar P Mulavara, BRIAN T PETERS, Chris A Miller, Igor S Kofman, Millard F Reschke, Laura C Taylor, Emily L Lawrence, Scott J Wood, Steven S Laurie, Stuart MC Lee, et al. Physiological and functional alterations after spaceflight and bed rest. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 50(9):1961, 2018. Google Scholar
  42. Valentina Natalucci, James Cowburn, Francesco Luciano, Nolan Herssens, Kirsten Albracht, Bjoern Braunstein, Verena Schüngel, Steffi Colyer, Jörn Rittweger, Tobias Weber, et al. Estimate of internal and external load in hypogravity locomotion with musculoskeletal modeling: A first step for evaluating a countermeasure. In Book of Abstracts of the 29th annual congress of the European College of Sport Science 2024 (ECSS), page 554. European College of Sport Science, 2024. Google Scholar
  43. Tommy Nilsson, Flavie Rometsch, Leonie Becker, Florian Dufresne, Paul Demedeiros, Enrico Guerra, Andrea Emanuele Maria Casini, Anna Vock, Florian Gaeremynck, and Aidan Cowley. Using virtual reality to shape humanity’s return to the moon: Key takeaways from a design study. In Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pages 1-16, 2023. Google Scholar
  44. Thiago P Oliveira, Mário C Espada, Danilo A Massini, Ricardo AM Robalo, Tiago AF Almeida, Víctor Hernández-Beltrán, José M Gamonales, Eliane A Castro, and Dalton M Pessôa Filho. Effects of exercise and sports intervention and the involvement level on the mineral health of different bone sites in the leg, hip, and spine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(15):6537, 2023. Google Scholar
  45. Gaspare Pavei, Carlo M Biancardi, and Alberto E Minetti. Skipping vs. running as the bipedal gait of choice in hypogravity. Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(1):93-100, 2015. Google Scholar
  46. Gaspare Pavei and Alberto E Minetti. Hopping locomotion at different gravity: metabolism and mechanics in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(10):1223-1229, 2016. Google Scholar
  47. Nora Petersen, Patrick Jaekel, Andre Rosenberger, Tobias Weber, Jonathan Scott, Filippo Castrucci, Gunda Lambrecht, Lori Ploutz-Snyder, Volker Damann, Inessa Kozlovskaya, et al. Exercise in space: the european space agency approach to in-flight exercise countermeasures for long-duration missions on iss. Extreme physiology & medicine, 5:1-13, 2016. Google Scholar
  48. Octavio Piñal and Amadeo Arguelles. Mixed reality and digital twins for astronaut training. Acta Astronautica, 219:376-391, 2024. Google Scholar
  49. Phil DB Price, John E Kennett, Jonathan PR Scott, David A Green, and Daniel J Cleather. Landing style influences peak ‘ground’reaction forces during repeated jumping using a supine jump sled in microgravity. Microgravity Science and Technology, 36(3):26, 2024. Google Scholar
  50. Charlotte Richter, Bjoern Braunstein, Benjamin Staeudle, Julia Attias, Alexander Suess, Tobias Weber, Katya N Mileva, Joern Rittweger, David A Green, and Kirsten Albracht. Gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior is preserved during 30% body weight supported gait training. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2:614559, 2021. Google Scholar
  51. Jörn Rittweger. Phyysiological targets of artificial gravity: adaptive processes in bone. In Artificial gravity, pages 191-231. Springer, 2007. Google Scholar
  52. Adrien Robin, Angelique Van Ombergen, Claire Laurens, Audrey Bergouignan, Laurence Vico, Marie-Thérèse Linossier, Anne Pavy-Le Traon, Marc Kermorgant, Angèle Chopard, Guillaume Py, et al. Comprehensive assessment of physiological responses in women during the esa dry immersion vivaldi microgravity simulation. Nature Communications, 14(1):6311, 2023. Google Scholar
  53. Heidi Ruckstuhl, Thomas Schlabs, Armando Rosales-Velderrain, and Alan R Hargens. Oxygen consumption during walking and running under fractional weight bearing conditions. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 81(6):550-554, 2010. Google Scholar
  54. Kotaro Sasaki, Richard R Neptune, and Steven A Kautz. The relationships between muscle, external, internal and joint mechanical work during normal walking. Journal of Experimental Biology, 212(5):738-744, 2009. Google Scholar
  55. David J Saxby, Luca Modenese, Adam L Bryant, Pauline Gerus, Bryce Killen, Karine Fortin, Tim V Wrigley, Kim L Bennell, Flavia M Cicuttini, and David G Lloyd. Tibiofemoral contact forces during walking, running and sidestepping. Gait & posture, 49:78-85, 2016. Google Scholar
  56. Richard A Scheuring, Jeffrey A Jones, Joseph D Novak, James D Polk, David B Gillis, Josef Schmid, James M Duncan, and Jeffrey R Davis. The apollo medical operations project: Recommendations to improve crew health and performance for future exploration missions and lunar surface operations. Acta Astronautica, 63(7-10):980-987, 2008. Google Scholar
  57. Jessica M Scott, Alan H Feiveson, Kirk L English, Elisabeth R Spector, Jean D Sibonga, E Lichar Dillon, Lori Ploutz-Snyder, and Meghan E Everett. Effects of exercise countermeasures on multisystem function in long duration spaceflight astronauts. npj Microgravity, 9(1):11, 2023. Google Scholar
  58. Jonathan PR Scott, David A Green, Guillaume Weerts, and Samuel N Cheuvront. Body size and its implications upon resource utilization during human space exploration missions. Scientific Reports, 10(1):13836, 2020. Google Scholar
  59. Jonathan PR Scott, Andreas Kramer, Nora Petersen, and David A Green. The role of long-term head-down bed rest in understanding inter-individual variation in response to the spaceflight environment: a perspective review. Frontiers in Physiology, 12:614619, 2021. Google Scholar
  60. Jonathan PR Scott, Tobias Weber, and David A Green. Introduction to the frontiers research topic: optimization of exercise countermeasures for human space flight-lessons from terrestrial physiology and operational considerations. Frontiers in physiology, 10:173, 2019. Google Scholar
  61. Jonathan PR Scott, Tobias Weber, and David A Green. optimization of exercise countermeasures for human space flight—lessons from terrestrial physiology and operational implementation, 2020. Google Scholar
  62. Melissa M Scott-Pandorf, Daniel P O’Connor, Charles S Layne, Krešimir Josić, and Max J Kurz. Walking in simulated martian gravity: influence of the portable life support system’s design on dynamic stability. J Biomech Eng, 2009. Google Scholar
  63. Richard A Stabler, Helena Rosado, Ronan Doyle, David Negus, Philip A Carvil, Juan G Kristjánsson, David A Green, Rafael Franco-Cendejas, Cadi Davies, Andreas Mogensen, et al. Impact of the mk vi skinsuit on skin microbiota of terrestrial volunteers and an international space station-bound astronaut. npj Microgravity, 3(1):23, 2017. Google Scholar
  64. Jaap Swanenburg, Christopher A Easthope, Anita Meinke, Anke Langenfeld, David A Green, and Petra Schweinhardt. Lunar and mars gravity induce similar changes in spinal motor control as microgravity. Frontiers in Physiology, 14:1196929, 2023. Google Scholar
  65. Jaap Swanenburg, Anke Langenfeld, Christopher A Easthope, Michael L Meier, Oliver Ullrich, and Petra Schweinhardt. Microgravity and hypergravity induced by parabolic flight differently affect lumbar spinal stiffness. Frontiers in physiology, 11:562557, 2020. Google Scholar
  66. Mission Evaluation Team et al. Apollo 17 mission report. Technical report, NASA, 1973. Google Scholar
  67. Luigi Tesio and Viviana Rota. The motion of body center of mass during walking: a review oriented to clinical applications. Frontiers in neurology, 10:999, 2019. Google Scholar
  68. Elju E Thomas, Giuseppe De Vito, and Andrea Macaluso. Physiological costs and temporo-spatial parameters of walking on a treadmill vary with body weight unloading and speed in both healthy young and older women. European journal of applied physiology, 100:293-299, 2007. Google Scholar
  69. Laurence Vico and Alan Hargens. Skeletal changes during and after spaceflight. Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 14(4):229-245, 2018. Google Scholar
  70. Tobias Weber, David A Green, Julia Attias, Wolfram Sies, Alexandre Frechette, Bjoern Braunstein, and Jörn Rittweger. Hopping in hypogravity—a rationale for a plyometric exercise countermeasure in planetary exploration missions. PloS one, 14(2):e0211263, 2019. Google Scholar
Any Issues?
X

Feedback on the Current Page

CAPTCHA

Thanks for your feedback!

Feedback submitted to Dagstuhl Publishing

Could not send message

Please try again later or send an E-mail
© 2023-2025 Schloss Dagstuhl – LZI GmbH About DROPS Imprint Privacy Contact