Analysis and Synthesis of a Subsystem of the Manual Control Loop for Manned Spacecraft

A salient feature of the manned spacecraft is the predominance of discrete information in the manual control loop of the onboard systems. Specifically, command-signaling control panels (CSCP) as a subsystem of the manual control loop are widely used in the Russian manned spacecraft. In this paper CSCP are classified into four types: a) control panels based on multichannel control; b) control panels based on command-information compression; c) control panels based on command and signaling information compression; d) integrated control consoles (ICC) based on computer and information technology. It is shown that ICC underlies modern information display systems (IDS). ICC first appeared in the Russian manned space program in the IDS of the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft and the Russian modules of the International Space Station. Results of engineering and psychological studies of different types of panels are produced. Analysis It is known that Russian manned spacecraft are distinguished by a high level of automation of onboard control systems. This is especially becomes apparent in predominance of discrete data sent to the manual control loop of the spacecraft. The manual control loop of the spacecraft is designed for execution and verification of commands issued by a cosmonaut as well as of the automatic and remote (from the ground) control commands. In the manual control loop of the spacecraft, the so-called command-signaling control panels (CSCP) are used. CSCP is an aggregate of means for issuing discrete commands and for displaying discrete, usually on-off, signals. The main elements of such CSCP are the information field (IF) and the command field (CF). More than a hundred CSCP were created within the manned spaceflight program in the Soviet Union. They can be divided into four generation. Examples of control panels of each generation are shown in Figs. 1-4.