Safe and precise piloted lunar landings require control inputs that depend on an accurate perception of vehicle orientation and motion. However, the unique environment and motions experienced during a lunar landing trajectory may lead to misperceptions in vehicle state. Eight subjects participated in a human subject experiment in the NASA Ames vertical motion simulator, where self-reports of perceptions of vehicle tilt angle and horizontal velocity were made during lunar-landing-like motions. Three cases of sensory cues were studied: Subjects were blindfolded and given no visual cues; subjects were provided a simulated dynamic view of the lunar terrain out a forward-looking window; and subjects were provided dynamic instrument displays showing current vehicle states. Subjects’ perception indications differed substantially from the motions being simulated in the blindfolded and out-the-window conditions, but were better matched when viewing instrument displays. Subject perceptions were also compared with predictions from a numerical model of orientation perception, and qualitatively matched in the blindfolded case, but were less well aligned in the out-the-window case. These types of misperceptions may impact astronaut control inputs
and degrade vehicle performance and safety.