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  • Imaging Spectrometers for Earth Observation

    Paper number

    IAC-04-B.3.01

    Author

    Mr. Vittorio De Cosmo, Italian Space Agency (ASI), Italy

    Year

    2004

    Abstract

    Introduction: Crew performance in space has become an increasing focus due to the recent shift towards longer-duration human space missions to the Moon and Mars. Several Earth exploration crews of the 19th and 20th centuries recorded mistakes in daily journal accounts and comparison of these recorded errors across time to those recorded by space mission simulation studies can provide insight into critical human elements that may be associated with exploration into isolated and confined (or semi-confined) extreme (ICE) environments here on Earth and their extrapolation for future space crews. Purpose: This study investigates crew psychosocial group functioning comparing personality, stress, and coping assessments to cognitive functioning, logged mission mistakes, and Habitat problems that arose throughout the mission. Comparisons of errors were then conducted with past expeditions to explore commonalities across time and environments. Findings can be used to gain insights into the impact of stressors on individual and group functioning under stressful conditions and to identify potential characteristics in individuals that would be most suitable for selection for space missions as well as to validate risks for errors and potential countermeasures. Methods: A six person heterogeneous American crew conducted a Mars simulation mission at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, USA in 2006 as part of a new NASA training program called Spaceward Bound. Participants were administered pre-mission assessments of personality, stress and coping, and personal motivation and orientation. Personal mission mistakes, as well as problems that occurred with the Habitat living module, were documented daily by each crewmember and reported to the crew psychologist. Mid- and end-mission assessments were administered to measure cognitive functioning; group functioning/identity; perceived stress and coping; and personal motivation and orientation. Results: The overall analysis indicated effective performance and positive coping with regards to the heavy workload and environmental stressors the crew experienced. A significant pattern existed between crewmember mistakes and Habitat problems when viewed across time, indicative of a rise in mistakes the day following a rise in Habitat problems, and a drop in mistakes the day following a drop in Habitat problems. Furthermore, there were striking similarities between error data and errors reported in past space research. The results further suggest that effective performance could be directly connected to crewmember personality and overall positive group dynamic development that have direct implications for effective countermeasures against the commission of errors.

    Abstract document

    IAC-04-B.3.01.pdf

    Manuscript document

    IAC-04-B.3.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

    To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.