Application Front-End for Monitoring and Control Software for the Aouda.X Spacesuit Simulator

The Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF) is developing a spacesuit simulator for future human Mars missions. A 45kg prototype of this ìwearable spacecraftî has been tested in various simulations, e.g. during a Mars analogue field test in the northern Sahara in February 2013. One of the main features of the suit is an advanced On-Board Data Handling System which provides a constant telemetry stream and allows remote control of core features.

Until now individual software was used for interacting with each component. During recent field tests it became clear that having to handle these individual applications is not very efficient and requires a rather experienced user to be able to fully utilize the software.

The goal of this bachelor thesis is to provide GUI elements displaying sensor data and providing the ability to control different subsystems of the spacesuit simulator. These elements integrate seamlessly into the underlying application framework. They also aim to achieve a user-friendly interface in order to improve user experience for untrained and experienced personnel alike. The components are modular and flexible, so that they can be adapted to the individual needs of different user groups.