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The astronauts selected for the first human mission to Mars will have to have more than “the right things”.
Even people on this very long mission will need to have an enthusiasm to do the right thing.
According to a new study.
This trait has been identified as more important than honesty, humility, emotionality, extroversion, openness and pleasantness.
“Conscientiousness, an individual personality trait, can be viewed as a shared team resource,” said Julia McMenamin, the study’s first author and PhD student in psychology at Western University in Canada.
“The more conscientious a team is, the better it will likely be in completing tasks.”
The study was published last week in the journal Astrobiology.
Conversely, traits like “social laziness” or the habit of a team member putting in less effort than when working alone is undesirable in a potential “Marstronaut”.
Traits that seem counterproductive and negative behaviors are likely to cause more problems and disruptions in a team environment.
Researchers consider these traits and behaviors to be “non-negotiable” for long-duration space flight crews.
Careful attention to crew selection, emphasizing effective communication and very detailed work and planning processes, could help avoid any negative factors.
Some of the same things identified in the study could also be used to help people cope with isolation during the pandemic.
Simulate a mission to Mars
Currently, NASA is aiming for 2030 for the first human mission to Mars.
Depending on the alignment of Mars and Earth for launch and landing and the duration of the mission to the Martian surface, this crew could spend five years together, not including training together in advance.
To test what this crew dynamic might look like before a real mission, the researchers studied a team of five “astronauts” during an exercise similar to a mission to Mars.
This event was hosted by the Austrian Space Forum in Oman in 2018.
The Dhofar region of Oman is a good analogue to the Martian environment in terms of isolation and extreme conditions.
McMenamin was joined by Natalie Allen, a professor of psychology at Western University, and Melissa Battler, Chief Science Officer of the Ottawa-based space exploration company, Mission Control Space Services.
The AMADEE-18 analog space mission lasted four weeks.
Five astronauts, including four men and a woman aged 28 to 38, lived in a simulated Martian environment.
Before, during and after the mission, the astronauts filled out surveys regarding their team’s performance and any team conflicts, as well as their stress levels.
At the end of the mission, the astronauts evaluated themselves and each teammate.
They also answered questions about their behavior in their respective roles and identified any counterproductive behaviors, including social laziness.
This particular team worked well together as a team, but the researchers were not surprised because they had prepared for their “mission”.
The team was also supported by field control and mission teams.
The team members also knew the others before the mission began.
All of these factors can be identified in examples of positive teamwork on Earth, the researchers said.
“Familiarity among team members has been shown to help teams work better together, possibly because it gives team members knowledge of each other and helps them communicate better and more efficiently,” McMenamin said.
Stress is a common negative factor that can affect team performance on Earth and in space.
It distracts, increases anxiety, causes cooperation difficulties, increases task overload and contributes to destructive emotions.
“Anyone who has worked on a team knows that conflict between team members can hurt team performance and create a negative experience,” McMenamin said.
“When people discuss how to get things done or personal disagreements, there is less time and energy left to complete tasks.
“The interesting thing is that there are different types of conflict, and as long as you avoid interpersonal problems and discussions about how to carry out the activities, the differences of opinion and opinion could actually improve the team’s performance, probably because this allows the team to derive benefit from each member’s knowledge and perspective. “
Given that this particular analog mission only lasted for about a month, the researchers are interested in how things might go over the course of a long-duration mission.
“The main problems caused by psychological distress and interpersonal problems don’t tend to manifest until months or even years spent in an isolated, confined and extreme environment, which highlights the need for longer-lasting simulations,” McMenamin said.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Being a good team player has almost always been part of the astronaut playbook, dating back to the days of the Apollo missions.
Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino spoke on CNN in September about the Netflix series Far, which focuses on an international crew leading the first human mission to Mars. Massimino was a consultant for the show.
The show crew was more interested in learning about the human side of being an astronaut, Massimino said.
For example, they asked him about the emotional aspects of leaving your family on Earth, the camaraderie between the crew and “how it is in your heart and soul rather than the process,” he said.
Maximin, who has flown on multiple missions during the Space Shuttle era, told them that “Earth looks like heaven. It makes you realize that we are so lucky to be here. “
As for the teamwork aspect of space flight, “we really love each other as astronauts,” Massimino said.
“It’s like a hybrid between a family member and a friend. You really care about each other. And there were seven of us on the Shuttle crew. We became like family, having all these experiences in training and space flight. They are extraordinary and there is nothing I would not do for these people. “
Maximin was selected to be an astronaut in 1996. Asked about traits that would be important to astronauts traveling to Mars, he said he believes the selection process would be similar to how NASA currently chooses astronaut candidates for long-term space flight over the International Space Station.
“We’re looking for people who are good candidates for long-duration spaceflight who get along, personalities who let things go. If things go wrong, you make mistakes because you’re not perfect, you have to be able to do it, “he said.
“They should be able to contribute and be a good positive crew member, not only for their crewmates, but also for the people who help them get back to Earth.”
One of the most important aspects that aids crew morale and performance is a connection to the Earth and the people they care about it – something that will be increasingly difficult when a spacecraft leaves Earth for Mars, causing delays in communications.
People tend to think of astronauts as superheroes, Massimino said.
“But we’re really just normal people who care for each other and have a really great job.”
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