Psychology of Space Exploration

Introduction: Psychology and the U.S. Space Program

He knows he has been trained and put into space at great cost

and effort, and he has a limited amount of time, especially dur-

ing a short shuttle mission, to perform the tasks set out for him,

efficiently. The precious data of the scientists on the ground, who

have dedicated many years for this experiment, can be lost, the

equipment can be damaged in such a way that it cannot be repaired

in space, or worse still, his blunder can affect the safety of life on

the spaceship. Even if such drastic errors are seldom, he is never-

theless under great stress—he has to get the work done quickly,

so that the next scheduled event can take place as planned. This

kind of stress affects him not only as an individual, but as a mem-

ber of a team: His peers are watching him, and he knows full well,

not only will any mistakes made affect their work as well, but he

fails in their eyes in a similar manner as a member of a sports team,

whose error can affect the success of the team as a whole.^4

This book discusses selected topics in the psychology of space exploration. In this
and the following chapters, we and other contributors address the changing role of
psychology within the U.S. space program, review the history of astronaut selection
and training, and describe the evolution of techniques for providing astronauts and
cosmonauts with psychological support. Contributing authors explain why and how
psychologists use space-reminiscent settings (such as undersea habitats and polar out-
posts) for research and training purposes. They trace the not-always-smooth course
of the diversification of the astronaut corps from a homogenous collection of white,
male test pilots to a more heterogeneous group including women and minorities.
They tell about group dynamics and teamwork, as well as occasional friction between
crews in flight and people in Mission Control. One of the most dramatic changes over
50 years of crewed flight has been the transition from fiercely competitive national
space programs to collaborative efforts with international crews, so cultural issues are
discussed. Over the past 50 years, space missions have changed, and so have salient
behavioral issues and opportunities for psychologists.

4. J. Kass, R. Kass, and I. Samaltedinov, “Psychological Problems of Man in Space: Problems
   and Solutions,” Acta Astronautica 36 (1995): 657–660.