Journey to Mars: NASA Consults Navy on Human Behavior Research for Future Manned Mission
ByAs NASA awaits the end of the Year in Space mission, the space agency is seeking other sources for research on the effects of a long trip in a tight space.
According to The Associated Press, NASA officials met U.S. Navy representatives at a submarine base in Groton, Conn. to discuss more non-scientific effects of isolation and long trips into inhospitable environments.
In March, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko started their yearlong tour aboard the International Space Station. In about six months, the two crewmembers will return to Earth and NASA will examine how their bodies responded to an extended stay in space.
But until then, NASA is seeking to round out their research on how humans might respond to deep-space travel.
"We have a shared interest with the Navy in team resilience," Brandon Vessey, a scientist with NASA's human research program, told The AP. "When you stick people together for a long period of time, how are they going to do?"
NASA is reportedly interested in a study from the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory in Groton aimed at improving how submarine teams work together. For example, the study recommended team members engage in dialogue and critical thinking practices in critical situations.
The Navy has yet to formally implement the research, but it is available to Naval commanders who wish to access it. NASA is expected to conduct its own experiment early next year.
"Like a submarine commander can't always call to shore, you can't just call back to Earth for advice," Ronald Steed, a participant in the Navy's research and a former submarine commander, told The AP. "The commander's going to have to have a set of tools that let him or her look at the crew and make a determination about where they are."