Title:
Home-Base Keeping track of home-base during self-motion in microgravity
Agreement Number:
25ISS24-3
Agreement Value:
$1,206,000.00
Agreement Date:
Sep 15, 2025 - Mar 31, 2031
Description:
Astronauts need to know where they are relative to their spacecraft as they move about in microgravity. The Principal Investigator (PI) team’s previous experiments demonstrated that astronauts adapt quickly to the novel perceptual environment of the International Space Station (ISS) and can reliably estimate how far they have moved in a straight-line using vision alone. However, other experiments have demonstrated that the perception of self-rotation in microgravity may be disrupted. The PI team’s proposed experiment assesses how effectively an astronaut can keep track of their starting position (their “home-base”) after experiencing a combination of linear and rotational visual information indicating motion along a three-dimensional path typical of that experienced in the ISS. Motion will be experienced passively and participants will judge the distance travelled and the direction of home-base following the motion. Keeping track of one’s home-base is a critically important skill for emergency egress or efficient travel. Understanding errors made will suggest compensatory strategies.
Organization:
Canadian Space Agency
Expected Results:
The Research component of the program provides financial support to organizations to conduct space related research and development in priority areas. It will support targeted knowledge development and innovation to sustain and enhance the Canadian capacity to use space to address national needs and priorities in the future.
Location:
Toronto, Ontario, CA M3J 1P3
Reference Number:
003-2025-2026-Q2-00003
Agreement Type:
Contribution
Report Type:
Grants and Contributions
Amendment Date
Aug 29, 2025
Recipient's Legal Name:
York University
Program:
Class Grant and Contribution Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology
Program Purpose:
This program supports knowledge development and innovation in the CSA's priority areas while increasing the awareness and participation of Canadians in space-related disciplines and activities.
The Research Component aims to support the development of science and technology; foster the continual development of a critical mass of researchers and highly qualified people in Canada; and support information gathering and space-related studies and research pertaining to Canadian Space Agency priorities.