Psychology of Space Exploration
In contrast to the interest traditionally shown by the Russians in space psy-
chology, an interest now shared by European as well as Japanese space agencies,
NASA has been criticized for neglecting psychological issues in research and oper-
ations. Many researchers and others have observed that the NASA culture discour-
aged questions about the behavioral health of astronauts since they were assumed to
have “the right stuff.” Recently, these issues have gained more attention. In chap-
ter 2, Albert Harrison and Edna Fiedler describe some recent positive developments
within the NASA establishment in moving away from “the marginalization of psy-
chology.” A more realistic recognition of stress and its consequences has led to a
concern with prevention and countermeasures as a result of experiences during the
Russian-American Shuttle-Mir Program and the ISS.
Greater attention to the psychological health of astronauts is reflected in a
NASA-sponsored behavioral health workshop held several years ago, followed by
some increase in more formal operational attention to postmission functioning of
the astronaut and his/her family. However, there is still much planning, program
implementation, and change in organizational culture that needs to be carried out
for these efforts to be more than a perfunctory gesture. A major problem in terms
of astronaut and perhaps, to some extent, family behavioral health is the organi-
zational factors that work against disclosure of psychological problems. The con-
cern by astronauts that disclosure will result in nonassignment or removal from a
flight assignment likely has considerable justification in reality. The “right stuff”
culture and concerns about confidentiality feed into a system where personal prob-
lems might be denied or dealt with in dysfunctional ways such as substance abuse,
impulsive or high-risk behaviors, and family and other interpersonal conflicts. The
findings of the 2007 NASA Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee
indicated that none of those interviewed knew of an astronaut who had sought
behavioral health care.
A focus on behavioral assessment and health should extend from the process
of selection to training, in-flight, and postflight periods. Passing a psychological/
psychiatric screening upon entrance to the astronaut corps does not predict the
absence of psychological/behavioral problems that might occur at a later time. In
considering crew selection for future long-duration lunar and planetary missions,
a particularly thorny issue is the prediction of the later development of psychopa-
thology in initially healthy individuals. This situation would not only affect the dis-
abled person, but would also have a detrimental effect on overall crew performance