Operations Habitability:

Innovating Qualitative Methods in Support of Human Space Flight

OpsHab

The Operations Habitability (OpsHab) team found new and modern methods of efficiency that will help meet International Space Station (ISS) reduction targets. First, OpsHab ‘scoped’ transcripts generated by the stenographer in real time to allow for optimized refinement of transcript creation and reduction in debrief data processing overall. This efficiency significantly reduces post transcript development processing time and has been successfully implemented for crew debriefs. The faster OpsHab can finalize transcripts, and load and tag them in the Crew Comments Database (CCDB), the faster useful data can be provided to stakeholders across all Programs.

Second, OpsHab is preparing to use a newly developed CCDB Artificial Intelligence (AI) module to support data reporting and analysis. This will minimize time required to manually process report data and optimize report turn-around time and completeness of reports, especially large data requests. In June 2025, the astronaut office approved use of real CCDB data for the AI module, which gets OpsHab and Human Health and Performance Directorate Information Technology one step closer to putting the AI generated reports into use for a select handful of crew office initial recipients to provide a proof of concept. Ultimately, the goal is to make AI-generated reports available to all requesters with the proper need to know.

In addition to these improvements, OpsHab took on the added responsibility of supporting the Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT) Problem Investigation Team (PIT) to provide transcripts of the expert interviews. The CFT PIT Lead recognized OpsHab’s expertise in qualitative data analytics and requested additional OpsHab support in creating a PIT interview data ‘database’ and recommendations development for all interview feedback to assist with correlating responses. This allows for a ‘one-stop-shop” reference for all available CFT decision making specific data with over 1500 unique comments that are uniquely meta data tagged and serve as a manual structure to combine data sets, tag/flag responses and identify follow up work, key themes, and findings. OpsHab worked collaboratively with the CFT PIT leadership team to help ensure they are assessing and applying all relevant data as effectively as possible as final recommendations and documentation are developed.

OpsHab remains on the cutting edge, making their support adaptable to changing ISS budget times and innovating to support the human, in all human space flight programs.

OpsHab conducting Crew-9/72S Habitability & Human Factors Debrief in June 2025

OpsHab team members with 71S crewmember Tracy Dyson. From L-R: Susan Schuh, Tracy Dyson, Maria Valladares, Rhonda Russo. Tracy brought the CCDB logo sticker on her most recent mission living and working onboard the ISS.

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