Experiment/Mission Information | Profiles & Overviews | Flight Hardware | Still Images | Links

Key Research Questions

• What are the group characteristics and processes that influence crew compatibility, capability, satisfaction, and productivity during space flights of increasing duration?
• What behavioral and psychometric criteria should be used for selecting the best candidates for long-duration missions?
• What are the requirements for adequate quality of life as they relate to food, clothing, hygiene, vibroacoustics, lighting, and personal needs in spacecraft and habitats?
• What are the effects of living in the space environment on cognitive functions (including attention, memory, information processing, and decision making) and on work capacity?
• How do the fundamental behavioral processes of perception and sensation, learning and cognition, and motor skills change in space? What is the time course of adaptation?
• What are the critical performance capabilities that are mission-relevant and likely to be affected by space exploration (e.g., cognitive, perceptualmotor, higher-level decision making)?
• How can we estimate how humans might perform during long duration space expeditions, in advance of actually conducting the expeditions?
• What stressors will be present during long duration space expeditions?
• How might the stress resulting from long duration isolation and confinement affect human performance?
• What can mission planners do to mitigate the effects of the stressors? (Personnel selection, crew training, equipment design, procedures)
• What can individual crew members do to mitigate the effects of the stressors?
• What are the personal qualities required for adaptation to and successful performance in isolation and confinement?
• What leadership style is most appropriate under conditions of long duration isolation and confinement?
• What are some of the "principles of habitability" that are relevant to the design and conduct of long duration space expeditions?

Experiment/Mission Information

Crew Member and Crew-Ground Interactions during International Space Station Missions

Source: Nick Kanas, Veterans Affairs Medical Center   Format: Microsoft Word
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Description: This document from NASA's OLMSA Taskbook discusses the planning and implementation of an experiment to study crew interaction during long-duration missions. (Posted on 10/00)

Experiment Information from the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive

Source: NASA Life Sciences Data Archive   Format: HTML

Behavior and performance:
Human factors:

Description: This link to the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive provides a list of relevant descriptions of flight experiments investigating Living in Space.

Mission Information from the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive

Source: NASA Life Sciences Data Archive   Format: HTML

Behavior and performance:
Human factors:

Description: This link to the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive provides a list of relevant descriptions of space flight missions that carried experiments investigating Living in Space.

Profiles & Overviews

Isolation: NASA Experiments in Closed-Environment Living

Source: American Astronautical Society   Format: PDF
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Description: This extensive report covers the results from a series of closed environment living studies designed to simulate the isolated living conditions of a Mars expedition. The studies evaluated habitable space, air revitalization, water recycling, sensors, noise, human factors, telemedicine and more in closed systems that did not allow for the resupply of air, water or supplies from external sources. (Posted on 04/05)

A Space Suit for Long-Term Exploration Missions

Source: Spaceline   Format: PDF
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Description: This article describes the design, currently in progress, of a more lightweight, advanced spacesuit that could support long-duration missions. (Posted on 11/03)

The Chameleon Suit - a Liberated Future for Space Explorers

Source: Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin   Format: PDF
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Description: This article, published by ASGSB, describes spacesuits currently used for extravehicular activities (EVAs), and a proposal for a new suit that would expand our capabilities to work in space. (Posted on 11/03)

Psychosocial Effects of Long-Duration Space Flight

Source: Spaceline   Format: PDF
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Description: This article describes findings from a psychosocial study of interpersonal relationships and multicultural issues, conducted on joint American-Russian Shuttle/Mir missions. (Posted on 11/03)

Flight Hardware

Autogenic Feedback System-2

Source: NASA
Format: PDF
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Description: The Autogenic Feedback System-2 (AFS-2) allowed astronauts to monitor their physiological state so that they could learn to consciously counteract the symptoms of space motion sickness. The system was flown on the Spacelab-J payload on the STS-47 mission. (Excerpt from Life into Space 1991-1998) (Posted on 01/01)

Still Images

EVA Exercise Device
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This photo shows an astronaut working out with a machine designed to train the body for extravehicular activities.

Human-Powered Centrifuge
Source: NASA
Format: JPEG
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Description: This image shows the Human-Powered Centrifuge at Ames Research Center. Human-powered centrifuges are one idea of how artificial gravity might be supplied on a long-duration mission.

Links

Follow these links to explore related resources in a new window.

Environmental Physiology Laboratory
Site for the Environmental Physiology Laboratory at Johnson Space Center.

Habitability and Environmental Factors Office
The HEFO at Johnson Space Center is responsible for providing a safe and productive environment for any human spacecraft or habitat as well as overseeing the research and technology development to enable humans to safely and effectively live and work in space.

Perceptual and Behavioral Adaptation
This site highlights research by the Perceptual and Behavioral Adaptation Group at Ames Research Center

Psychophysiological Research
This site shows research and technology at the NASA Ames Psychophysiological Research Facility