UCF Wins NASA Grant to Study Astronaut’s Mental Wellness On Deep Space Missions

By  //  May 17, 2016

NASA will send astronauts on distant missions

Crew members for the current simulation missions stand in front of the NASA Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA). HERA is a high-fidelity mission simulation environment operated by NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) at the Johnson Space Center. HERA missions provide the operational setting for important HRP research aimed at reducing the risks to astronauts on future space exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit. HERA 10 “launched” on May 2 for a 30-day mission to the near-Earth asteroid “Geographos.” The four crew members are (left to right): Chris Matty of Houston, Texas; Oscar Mathews of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Ron Franco of Lockport, New York; and Casey Stedman of Olympia, Washington. (NASA image)
Crew members for the current simulation missions stand in front of the NASA Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA). HERA is a high-fidelity mission simulation environment operated by NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) at the Johnson Space Center. HERA missions provide the operational setting for important HRP research aimed at reducing the risks to astronauts on future space exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit. HERA 10 “launched” on May 2 for a 30-day mission to the near-Earth asteroid “Geographos.” The four crew members are (left to right): Chris Matty of Houston, Texas; Oscar Mathews of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Ron Franco of Lockport, New York; and Casey Stedman of Olympia, Washington. (NASA image)

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – NASA has awarded two University of Central Florida professors $900,000 to study cognitive issues such as memory and attention in astronauts on lengthy space assignments.

Stephen Fiore and Shawn Burke’s project is one of 27 selected from 18 institutions around the country, which will receive money from a $12 million pool over three years. The projects were selected because NASA is preparing to send astronauts on distant missions, including Mars.

Most of the studies selected will look at space travel’s impact on the human body, including visual impairment, bone and muscle loss, human performance, cardiovascular health, and sensory and motor adaptations, among other issues.

“This is important because studies suggest that cognitive processes may be negatively affected by the spaceflight context,” Fiore said.

 

Stephen Fiore
Stephen Fiore

“So we need to understand how problems with memory or attention will impact the spaceflight team’s ability to function and successfully perform their mission.”

The idea is to mitigate the effects as much as possible, he said.

Fiore, the lead investigator, is director of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory and a faculty member with the cognitive sciences program in the Department of Philosophy and the Institute for Simulation & Training.

Shawn Burke
Shawn Burke

Burke is a research professor at the IST specializing in team dynamics and behavior.

Burke said this is just one of several studies they have been working on for NASA that look at team dynamics.

The others address issues such as leadership behavior, crew dynamics, impact of confined spaces on these dynamics, and cultural differences. NASA has been funding the grants the past couple of years, she said.

This project is funded by the agency’s Human Research Program and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, which seek to answer questions on astronaut health and performance in long-duration space missions.

The Human Research Program also plans strategies to monitor and mitigate risks humans may face on missions.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin To Speak at the 44th Space Congress Event May 24Related Story:
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin To Speak at the 44th Space Congress Event May 24

NASA has been pushing to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. That effort would be in preparation to travel to Mars, a planet believed to be capable of hosting life, and possibly beyond.

The goal of the current studies is to better prepare astronauts to manage the mental and physical demands of space travel.

Some of the studies will be conducted aboard the International Space Station, NASA said. Others, including UCF’s studies, will be conducted in settings that mimic the space environment.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPACE NEWS