Psychology of Space Exploration
Finally, apart from psychological studies of astronauts, we acknowledge many
other areas where psychology interfaces with NASA. For example, NASA main-
tains an excellent program in aviation human factors. Even robotic missions, such
as those already dispatched to Mars, have a human touch. It is necessary to assem-
ble, organize, and train teams to manage such missions. Considerable preparation
is necessary for successful teleoperations, for example, Earth-bound researchers
conducting a “glove box” experiment aboard a satellite thousands of miles away
or driving a teleoperated rover on Mars. Some automated satellites are designed
for easy servicing by Shuttle crews. Satellites devoted to remote sensing must be
designed with human sensory, perceptual, and information processing systems in
mind. Furthermore, the loss of Challenger and Columbia reflected organizational and
behavioral factors such as miscommunication and faulty judgment as well as tech-
nical failures.^34 Astronauts in flight are the focal point of this volume, but there are
many areas where psychology can contribute to NASA.
- M. M. McConnell, Challenger: A Major Malfunction (New York: Doubleday, 1987);
D. Vaughan, The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture and Deviance at NASA
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996).