I believe space travel represents the best
of humanity - our ability to develop complex
tools, to work together and accomplish what
no one could do on their own, and to survive
in environments that are completely hostile
to us.
But what does it take to survive in space?
I’m not talking about the stuff the obvious
stuff, like a pressured oxygenated atmosphere,
protection from ultraviolet rays, and comfortable
temperatures.
I want to talk about what it takes to survive
psychologically in space.
Scientists have spent decades
understanding space psychology and I want
to share with you 3 of their most important
findings.
Number 1: Build An Effective Team
Astronauts work in suffocatingly small spaces,
work long days, and rely on each other to
complete their missions.
Small conflicts between crews can quickly
escalate into serious life threatening problems.
That sounds like the plot of every Alien movie…
This is why teamwork is the number one priority
for mission control.
When it comes to putting together a crew,
the most important criteria NASA psychologists
look at is the health of a candidate, how
well they sleep, and how they work with others.
NASA creates mixed gendered crews because
they preform better than single gendered crews.
When a multinational crew, space programs
make sure everyone gets the same training,
regardless of where they are from.
Training includes classes, simulations, and
virtual reality.
NASA focuses on helping a crew learn how to
communicate with each another, make decisions
together, support each other, and deal with
unexpected situations.
Along the way crews get to know one another,
develop a common language, and begin trusting
each other.
In space, crews work to maintain their teamwork
by eating together at a table and celebrating
each other’s customs and holidays.
Number 2: Create Earth-like Conditions
Our biology developed to survive on Earth
and the same is true of our psychology.
This is why space creates so many problems
for our internal clock—the suprachiasmatic
nucleus, SCN for short.
The SCN regulates circadian rhythms, which
wake us up in the morning and make us sleepy
at night.
Because the SCN is located right next to the
optic nerve, sunlight has a big impact on
our sleep patterns.
More sunlight, you feel alert.
More darkness, you feel tired.
The problem with space is astronauts don’t
get the same exposure to light that they’re
used to on Earth.
The International Space Station orbits the
Earth every 90 minutes.
The SCN isn’t built for a 90-minute orbit;
it's used to a 24-hour cycle.
This gives many astronauts a feeling of constant
jet lag.
Combine that with the loud sounds of machinery
on the space station
and it’s no wonder so many astronauts suffer from insomnia, chronic drowsiness, and need sleep medication.
The solution is recreating as many Earth-like
conditions as possible.
NASA recently replaced the International Space
Station’s lights with a new LED system that
creates colors similar to what we get on Earth.
It’s kinda like how we use light boxes to
treat seasonal depression, the smart lights
you can buy for your home, and the mood lighting
found in most modern airplanes.
Number 3: Develop Rapid Brain and Behavioral
Feedback
NASA’s mental health team meets with astronauts
in space and their families on earth on a
regular basis.
While astronauts can reach out for help anytime,
it’s too impractical for the ground mental
health team to check in on a daily basis.
The astronaut’s schedules are just too full.
This is a problem because the people astronauts
usually rely on for support, their friends
and family, aren’t there with them in space.
Sure, the crew will check in on each other,
but what if they’re also feeling sleep deprived
or irritable?
Or what if an astronaut is experiencing a
problem with another crew members?
This is why NASA is developing remote brain
and behavioral feedback systems.
The goal is for ground crews to intervene
with problems in space before they compromise
mission goals.
This is the kind of stuff that could have
really helped Matt Damon in Interstellar…
On future missions, a badge will measure an
astronaut’s heart-rate, speech, and their
distance relative to other crew members.
Ground teams will be alerted if the crew is
experiencing problems or if someone is isolating
themselves.
NASA psychologists have also developed tests
that remotely measures an astronaut’s mood
and stress using behavior, saliva, and facial
recognition.
All of this information will one day be integrated
with artificial intelligence that will provide
therapy to help astronauts and help them get back on track.
Understanding space psychology doesn’t just
make you a better astronaut, it can make your
life easier here on Earth.
There’s so much more we can do to build
better teams, bring the right mix of people
together, and help productively deal with conflict.
We can create environments that work with
our psychology instead of against it by changing
the colors of our monitors, screens, and outdoor lights according to the hours of the day.
Creating behavioral monitoring systems on
our schools, campuses, and workplaces could
help identify people who are in need of help
at the first sign of trouble.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of space
psychology.
For much more check out NASA’s free ebook,
The Psychology of Space Exploration.
What questions do you have about space psychology?
Let me know in the comments below!
