Andreas with MobiPV

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen wearing a headset that is part of the Mobi-PV experiment to test new ways of interacting with mission control to improve operations.

Astronauts on the International Space Station have many tasks, ranging from scientific experiments in over 40 fields of research to maintaining ventilation systems and grappling spacecraft with robotic arms. The procedures are generally displayed on a laptop, so astronauts need to have at least one hand free to move to the next step. A lot of time is lost referring to procedures and returning to the task at hand.

ESA is testing simple-sounding ways of making the astronauts’ lives easier in a project called Mobi-PV. A headset will stream live video to mission control so they can look over his shoulder and offer advice.