Psychological Training for Astronauts
Authors' Class Standing
Nicholas Unger, sophomore
Lead Presenter's Name
Nicholas Unger
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Jason Kring
Abstract
With talk of a future mission to Mars happening in the next 5 years, how can psychological training for astronauts become more efficient? This is a large issue due to the severity of a mission to Mars. Scientists have calculated that a manned mission to Mars would take an estimated 2 and a half years to complete. Within those 2 and a half years, the astronauts on board will experience 550 days of being enclosed in a 20ft long, 12 foot diameter capsule. This alone causes many issues considering a crew of 6 people will have to be in very close proximity with one another for long durations of time. NASA has invested its resources into creating an X-HAB which stands for Exploration Habitat. They gave it the name NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) and it has been used since 1993. NEEMO is an underwater facility that NASA uses to replicate common operations done in space. Although NEEMO has served a great purpose, it has recently shut down due to going over budget. Mixed with going over budget and inadequate accessibility, the NEEMO project needs to expand into something less costly and more efficient. NASA has a great idea with investing in X-HABs, but a land based one would be more beneficial. With this research, the scientists can have a better idea as how to approach a mission to Mars.
Location
Flight Deck
Start Date
9-4-2014 10:00 AM
Psychological Training for Astronauts
Flight Deck
With talk of a future mission to Mars happening in the next 5 years, how can psychological training for astronauts become more efficient? This is a large issue due to the severity of a mission to Mars. Scientists have calculated that a manned mission to Mars would take an estimated 2 and a half years to complete. Within those 2 and a half years, the astronauts on board will experience 550 days of being enclosed in a 20ft long, 12 foot diameter capsule. This alone causes many issues considering a crew of 6 people will have to be in very close proximity with one another for long durations of time. NASA has invested its resources into creating an X-HAB which stands for Exploration Habitat. They gave it the name NEEMO (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) and it has been used since 1993. NEEMO is an underwater facility that NASA uses to replicate common operations done in space. Although NEEMO has served a great purpose, it has recently shut down due to going over budget. Mixed with going over budget and inadequate accessibility, the NEEMO project needs to expand into something less costly and more efficient. NASA has a great idea with investing in X-HABs, but a land based one would be more beneficial. With this research, the scientists can have a better idea as how to approach a mission to Mars.