Psychology and Culture During Long-Duration Space Missions

The International Academy of Astronautics Study Group on Psychology and Culture in LongDuration Space Missions first convened in May 2003, at the 14 Humans in Space Symposium in Banff, Canada. After this initial meeting to define the group’s task, members divided into subcommittees and worked on drafts of sections of the document over email. The group reconvened in person several times to coordinate the structure of the paper. These sessions occurred at scientific meetings where many of the members were present. The study group formally convened in 2003 at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Bremen and at the Institute for Biomedical Problems 40 Anniversary Symposium in Moscow. In 2004 it convened at the IAC in Vancouver and at the Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) in Anchorage. In 2005 it convened at the Humans In Space Symposium in Graz, at the IAC in Fukuoka, and at the AsMA Meeting in Kansas City. In 2006 the group worked over e-mail and will convene at the IAC in Valencia after the paper is finished in order to debrief and set out plans for future work. The objective of this report is twofold: a) to describe the current knowledge of cultural, psychological, psychiatric, cognitive, and interpersonal issues that are relevant to the behavior and performance of astronaut crews and ground support personnel; and b) to make recommendations for future human space missions, including both transit and planetary surface operations on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The focus will be on long-duration missions lasting at least six weeks, when important psychological and interpersonal factors begin to take their toll on crewmembers. This information is designed to provide guidelines for astronaut selection and training, in-flight monitoring and support, and post-flight recovery and re-adaptation. After a consideration of Cultural Issues, which impact on the entire report, four main sections follow: Personality, Coping, and Adaptation; Behavioral Health and Psychiatry; Cognition and Complex Performance Skills; and Interpersonal and Organizational Issues. For each of these sections, there is a review of general issues; implications for mission operations in terms of crew selection, training, monitoring and support, and re-adaptation to Earth; and operational and research recommendations involving future missions to Earth orbit, the lunar surface, or to Mars and beyond.