High-Level Project Summary
While collecting data on space missions, astronauts are logging their findings using a word processor. Unfortunately, this current process leaves a gap in communication between them and others. With lunar.log(), our team has identified an opportunity for far greater and more transparent collaboration using a real-time application that will provide rich content such as images, videos, audio, and the ability to view the log of multiple users. Users are also able to select which mission’s logs to view, which users’ logs they would like to see, the ability to input new logs in rich format, upload files, and permanently approve logs to become part of their official record.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
Taking inspiration from the most popular form of modern communication, social media, our team decided to create a web application in the form of a feed. Through lunar.log(), users are able to view the live feed of logs uploaded by Astronauts, NASA flight controllers and the broader scientific community. The application is focused on addressing the challenge: Lunar Surface Operations Real-Time Collaboration.
The goal of lunar.log() is to make the process for communication between Astronauts, NASA flight controllers and the scientific community much more seamless through a real-time application. Therefore, lunar.log() focused on these key user stories through the application:
View Logs – Users will be able to select a mission and view the logs associated with it. A search bar will be provided that allows them to filter the logs using keywords such as the log author’s name. All logs are sorted by date with the latest showing at the top.
Add New Logs – Users will be able to add new logs by clicking on the add button. This will prompt a dialog to open that provides them with a rich text editing experience, allowing them to easily attach photos, videos and link to other logs .
To link to other logs, users can click the link button on the log they would like to link to which will copy the associated URL. They can simply paste that into the appropriate input field which will provide a link to the log once posted.
Edit/Approve Logs – Users will also be able to edit or officially approve their logs once they have been posted. They will only be able to see the edit and approve button for their own logs. Once the users have officially approved their log, the option for edit will no longer be available.
Mission Navigation - Users will be able to select which mission’s logs they want to view from a collapsable side navigation bar provided.
All these features will enable long term record keeping.
For the design process of this application, our team used the prototyping tool, Adobe XD. For the development of the application, we used Angular and firebase.
This new platform creates a more intuitive way for the scientific community and general to interact and learn from the findings of EVA crew members.
It provides an easier way to look at past missions as well.
Given more time, we would create a version of the app that the public, beyond the scientific community and astronauts, would be able to participate in the process.
Space Agency Data
We conducted research into past modes of logging information, ie. the video that was posted by spaceappschallenge, looking at previous mission logs and journal entries referenced in the resources section as well as NASA journals.
Hackathon Journey
We began by conducting research into past modes of logging information, looking at previous mission logs and journal entries.
At this point we had identified some of the difficulties with the current process. We did some research into effective ways of conducting real time communication, and decided that taking inspiration from social media would be a viable approach.
We designed the application using a prototyping software and after conducting a few user interviews we determined that it was intuitive to use.
We have completed the MVP of the application, we were unable to complete some secondary features however.
References
https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap11fj/01launch.html#0000000
https://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/apollo11_log/log.htm
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/NEEMO12/mission_journal_2.html
https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap11fj/01launch.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQdpfA0Wsho&ab_channel=NASASpaceAppsChallenge
Tags
#lunarlog #lunar #log #software #app #realtime
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.