ABSTRACT
The environment of weightlessness is the single significant difference a designer must consider for human beings and machines in space vehicles. Initial designs illustrating the differences that appear in weightlessness were tested during the Skylab program. In the weightless environment of space, these rather profound changes in anthropometry take place rapidly. A major anthropometric concern in the design and evaluation of men and machines for spaceflight is the statistical description of all those persons who may, throughout the life of a product's usefulness, be involved in its operation, maintenance, consumption, or other anthropometric relationship with the product. Size difference between the sexes is a primary source of variability. Since National Aeronautics and Space Administration have women astronauts, that difference in size is a matter of considerable importance to designers. The design that best illustrates the man-machine design using the findings of Skylab experiences is the Remote Manipulator System control station.
