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A Human Factors Engineering (HFE) analysis has been involved in the design process of the Mini Pressurized Logistics Module (MPLM) for the International Space Station (ISS) since the beginning, as an integrated part of the design support activities. The support of HFE in the configuration process has been directed towards the optimization of the MPLM design through the analysis and evaluation of all the interfaces occurring in the module - nominal and non-nominal - between the crew, the system and the subsystem equipment. In order to identify and analyze all the crew interfaces occurring inside the module, a systematic approach, involving different disciplines, is necessary. The integration of three different tools such as computer simulation, task analysis and mock-up test activities has been employed as an organic unit, in order to establish a comprehensive collection of useful data.

One of the issues that extended spaceflight raises is the provision to the crew of a living environment not only safe but also comfortable and pleasant, two features which also enhance crew productivity. Interior design and decor are understood to gain more relevance as mission duration increases. This means that colour theory application to the actual space system configuration becomes a fundamental step. Obviously, two other relevant variables are the impact of the overall environment (e.g., illumination, structural design, other decorative techniques adopted) and the personal taste, mediated by his own experience, of the designer. The presented work started from a brief review of the general principles pertaining to colour theory, analyzing commonly accepted systems used to categorize and individualize colours with an unambiguous procedure, to exploit the theory as an exact, almost mathematical, tool.