  The European Large Logistics Lander (EL3) is being designed to carry out
cargo delivery missions in support of future lunar ground crews. The capacity
of virtual reality (VR) to visualize and interactively simulate the unique
lunar environment makes it a potentially powerful design tool during the early
development stages of such solutions. Based on input from the EL3 development
team, we have produced a VR-based operational scenario featuring a hypothetical
configuration of the lander. Relying on HCI research methods, we have
subsequently evaluated this scenario with relevant experts (n=10). Qualitative
findings from this initial pilot study have demonstrated the usefulness of VR
as a design tool in this context, but likewise surfaced a number of limitations
in the form of potentially impaired validity and generalizability. We conclude
by outlining our future research plan and reflect on the potential use of
physical stimuli to improve the validity of VR-based simulations in forthcoming
design activities.
