NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Behavioral Health & Performance (Ed., 1/17/17)

NOTE: Extended to 7/31/2017 per NSSC information (Ed., 5/5/16)

Nine sub-studies were completed:

- Development of an Objective Behavioral Assay of Cohesion to Enhance Composition, Task Performance, and Psychosocial Adaptation in Long-Term Work Groups (Roma)

- Consideration of Conflict Management Approach Behaviors as Possible Indicators of Cohesion Decrements in Teams Operating in Isolated, Confined Extreme Environments over Long Duration (Bedwell)

- Measuring, Monitoring, and Regulating Teamwork for Long Duration Missions (Kozlowski)

- AD-ASTRA (Automated Detection of Attitudes and States through Transaction Recordings Analysis) at HI-SEAS (Wu)

- ANSIBLE (A Network of Social Interactions for Bilateral Life Enhancement) at HI-SEAS (Wu and Schmer-Galunder)

- HI-SEAS Geology Tasks Crew Performance Analysis (Shiro)

- Autonomous Stress Management and Resilience Training for Optimal Performance (SMART-OP): HI-SEAS Implementation (Rose)

- Autonomous Behavior Health Countermeasures for Spaceflight: Evaluation at HI-SEAS (Buckey)

- Cognitive Performance in Long-Duration Mars Simulations at HI-SEAS (Bassner)

The three missions covered by this grant added up to 24 months of analog mission operations, collecting data under the above nine core sub-studies (as well as additional opportunistic research not reported here). We are still in the process of analyzing data within sub-studies, and integrating results across them.

NOTE: Element change to Human Factors & Behavioral Performance; previously Behavioral Health & Performance (Ed., 1/17/17)

NOTE: Extended to 7/31/2017 per NSSC information (Ed., 5/5/16)

The current status of the research is described below, as a set of sub-projects. However, please note that all data will shared across projects and, once the final twelve-month mission is complete, we will be able to integrate this data for higher-level analysis. For all sub-projects, data collection is complete for the 4- and 8-months mission, and ongoing for the 12-month mission.

TRACKING LONG-TERM DYNAMICS

This research study investigates how people react, cope, and adjust to working together in ICE (isolated, confined, extreme) environments. In the environment, much like an astronaut, participants will work collaboratively with team members to accomplish a mission that requires interdependence and teamwork. We are interested in the ebb and flow of team member perceptions and reactions throughout the ICE experience. In addition, we wish to better understand the formation, maintenance, and restoration of team cohesion. Participants wear a commercially available social interaction badge that captures their interactions with other participants.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND EVA (Extravehicular Activity) DEBRIEFS

For this study, we conduct a series of end-of-mission debriefs, to develop a timeline of crew conflict and conflict management processes. We qualitatively analyze all in-mission EVA crew debriefs, based on existing theories of task/relationship team conflict resolution processes, to identify potential decrements to cohesion across mission duration using behavioral coding (e.g., behavioral indicators of "openness" approaches and "avoid" approaches). We then compare data from EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) debriefs to the overall conflict timeline to map conflict resolution processes to self-reported periods of heightened conflict and heightened cohesion decrements.

TEAM PERFORMANCE TASK (TPT)

The goal of this protocol is to characterize social dynamics, team performance capacity, and biopsychosocial adaptation over time in the isolated, confined, and extreme space analog environment of HI-SEAS.

The primary research activity for this protocol is regular sessions administering our prototype "Team Performance Task" (TPT) software, an objective behavioral economic assay of cooperation, productivity, and fairness in small groups. In addition to the TPT sessions, the Crew also completes an online "Dyad Questionnaire." This survey lists a wide variety of interaction patterns (e.g., professional/collegial, personal/friendly, antagonistic/conflict), and is administered in a sociometric format where each Crew member selects the applicable interaction pattern(s) during the past week for all possible interpersonal pairings (dyads).

ANSIBLE

ANSIBLE (A Network of Social Interactions for Bilateral Life Enhancement), named after a fictitious interstellar communications device from science fiction, opportunistically combines Virtual Environments (VEs) and Virtual Agents (VAs) and incorporates evidence-based psychological health promoting strategies to augment asynchronous communications, increase connectedness between crew members and their informal social support system (e.g., friends, family, colleagues), enhance awareness of psychological health, and combat social and sensory monotony.

ANSIBLE is a multi-modal toolset that leverages evidence based wellness promoting strategies to 1) augment asynchronous communications using VEs and facilitate novel interaction methods beyond email and video playback, 2) use the inherently immersive and stimuli rich nature of VEs to counteract sensory monotony, and 3) leverage VEs and intelligent VAs to provide companions and advisors to combat social monotony. Further, VAs capable of detecting changes in astronaut psychosocial states can increase astronaut self-awareness, suggest countermeasures, and provide rehearsal scenarios to maintain and enhance interpersonal skills.

The ANSIBLE system was deployed at HI-SEAS for the beginning of the current twelve-month mission, and has been collecting data throughout.

COGNITION

We measure a range of cognitive functions using Cognition, a comprehensive, software-based, neurocognitive toolkit. The ten Cognition tests include (but go beyond) what is currently measured by WinSCAT and the Reaction Self Test on the International Space Station (ISS), and take 20-30 minutes to complete. The toolkit will permit rapid assessment of performance in cognitive, social-emotional, and sensorimotor domains. The Cognition toolkit has been validated in a NASA ground-based study as well as on the ISS. We use these measures as base controls to control for the effects of other factors (e.g., emotional state, crew cohesion) on performance.

SMART-OP

SMART-OP (Stress Management and Resilience Training for Optimal Performance) is a self-guided, multimedia, interactive, computer-based, stress management and resilience training program based on evidenced-based cognitive-behavioral principles and emotion regulation approaches. The main aim of this project is to evaluate SMART-OP for acceptability and usability in a space analog environment with a sample of individuals participating in 8- and 12-month missions at the HI-SEAS facility.

VIRTUAL SPACE STATION (VSS)

Living in an ICE analog can induce conflict, stress, and depression. Computer-based behavioral health countermeasures are appealing for training and treatment in ICE because they provide confidentiality and do not require communication with the outside environment. Autonomous, confidential, training, and treatment for behavioral health issues will need to be a critical component of long duration spaceflight travel. This work provides an evaluation of such a tool in a relevant ICE environment.

We evaluated the Virtual Space Station (VSS), a suite of interactive computer-delivered psychological training and treatment programs, during the eight-month HI-SEAS mission. This evaluation continues in the 12-month mission, which is currently ongoing.

GEOLOGY FIELD TASKS

One goal of HI-SEAS is to evaluate crew performance over missions of increasing length. To meet this objective, a team of geologists works with the research team to develop geology field tasks for the crew to complete in the area surrounding the habitat. These team-oriented tasks are designed to be gradable with quantifiable metrics so that meaningful conclusions about crew performance can be drawn. The tasks are designed to specify what the crew should accomplish, without telling them how, in order to test the crew’s effectiveness in managing the tasks under high-autonomy conditions.

Habitat upgrades: The HI-SEAS habitat was upgraded (at no additional cost to the grant) before the first mission to include a robust array of solar panels, an H2 fuel cell, an additional 500 gallons of water storage capacity (for a total of 1000 gallons), and high-capacity composting toilets. These measures have reduced the frequency of site servicing from 1-2 times per week to two times per month, which in turn helps maintain the isolation of the crew while reducing costs. Between the first and second missions, the communications and telemetry systems were upgraded (again, at no additional cost to the grant), resulting in far fewer failures. Thanks to this increased stability, we have actually had to introduce simulated failures in order to observe the crew’s performance under sub-optimal conditions.

Crew selection: In late 2013, we began recruiting crew members for all three missions. About 150 applications were received. Of these, about 120 met the basic requirements for participation. Based on education, professional background, and experience, these were down-selected to thirty interviewees for the first mission. This set also served as the pool for the eight- and twelve-month missions. Interviewees were asked to complete psychological screening tests. Based on the interviews (conducted remotely) and screening, nine applicants (crew and reserves) were selected for the second mission.

Eight (one had to withdraw for personal reasons) went on an eight-day National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) course in summer 2014. This was an excellent addition to the selection process, as it allowed potential participants to evaluate each other and themselves in an isolated setting. We received feedback from the applicants and from the NOLS instructors. Based on all the material collected, six crewmembers were selected in July 2014 for the eight-month mission starting in October 2014 (currently nearing its end), and the remaining two became reserves.

We are currently in the process of selecting the crew for the final twelve-month mission, starting in August 2015.

Mission support: Mission support is divided into two tiers. First tier support (FTS) members work in four-hour shifts 8am-8pm HST. FTS responds as quickly as possible (given the 20 minute latency in communications) to requests from the crew, acknowledges crew reports, and provides the crew with information (e.g., news reports, weather forecasts, requested data). FTS is also able to approve some activities, such as EVAs in the vicinity of the habitat, and escalate all other requests for approval to second tier support (STS). STS is ‘on call’ 24hrs/day, seven days per week. STS approval is required for site servicing, longer EVAs, and any activities not clearly defined by the mission rules. All mission support communications, except for emergency operations, are via a project-management system, and are subject to the 20-minute delay.

Mission A: In March 2014, the first crew flew to Hawaii for a week of baseline measurements, as well as training on habitat systems, geological fieldwork, and study protocols. On March 27, the crew entered the habitat, and came out four months later.

During the mission, the crew collected data on: - Cognitive function, - Team processes, - Team cohesion, - Intra-crew relationships, - Team member interactions, - Team performance.

The crew carried out several opportunistic research projects. These are not part of the research funded by this grant, but do support NASA’s goals by raising the readiness level of technologies, protocols, and countermeasures. The opportunistic research projects on that mission include: - Evaluating anti-microbial fabrics, - Growing plants using light of varying wavelength, - Evaluating 3-D printed surgical tools, - Tracking stress and exertion on extra-vehicular activities.

Mission B: The second mission is about to finish its eight month duration on June 13, 2015. They have collected the same core set of data as for Mission A, although the set of opportunistic research projects has evolved.

Timeline: We have begun the selection process for the next mission, which will start in August 2015 and last twelve months.

Education and public outreach: The crew and mission support have been very active in education and public outreach efforts. Regular updates are posted on the http://www.hi-seas.org site, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, crewmembers regularly post blogs and YouTube videos chronicling their mission. They respond directly to questions from students on a regular basis.

The mission has also received a great deal of national and international media attention. Links to many of the articles written about HI-SEAS and other media are available on the website ( http://www.hi-seas.org ) or on the project’s Facebook page.

Results: As we are just coming to the end of the second mission of three, and our plan is to compare data across the three missions, we do not yet have final results to report. However, the data is coming in as expected, and crew compliance with study protocols is very high (near 100%).

We are measuring crew performance in several ways: compliance with study protocols and mission rules; daily tasks (e.g., habitat maintenance, reports); opportunistic research; and geology field research. Of these, the geology is the most team-oriented (most tasks require at least three crewmembers and a series of well-planned EVAs) and progressive (in that they build on each other over the course of the mission). Only three crewmembers to date has even minimal education in geology beyond the three-day cram course that was part of the pre-mission training. Nonetheless, the crew performance on the geology tasks has been impressive.

Habitat upgrades: The HI-SEAS habitat was upgraded (at no additional cost to the grant) to include a robust array of solar panels and an H2 fuel cell. Although there is also a small backup gasoline generator, it was only used in the first few weeks of the mission, before the fuel cell came online (and even then rarely). We have also added another 500 gallons of water-holding capacity, and replaced the regular toilets with high-capacity composting toilets. These measures have reduced the frequency of site servicing from 1-2 times per week to two times per month, which in turn helps maintain the isolation of the crew.

Crew selection: In late 2013, we began recruiting crew members for the three upcoming missions. Approximately 150 applications were received. Of these, about 120 met the basic requirements for participation. Based on education, professional background, and experience, these were down-selected to about thirty interviewees for the first mission. Interviewees were asked to complete psychological screening tests. Based on the interviews (conducted remotely) and screening, nine applicants were selected. These nine were asked for Class 2 flight medicals, and were also asked to conduct pairwise mutual interviews, and provide feedback on their potential crew members. Based on all the material collected, six crewmembers were selected in December 2013, and the remaining three became reserves.

Mission support: Mission support is divided into two tiers. First tier support (FTS) members work in four-hour shifts 8am-8pm HST. FTS responds as quickly as possible (given the 20 minute latency in communications) to requests from the crew, acknowledges crew reports, and provides the crew with information (e.g. news reports, weather forecasts, requested data). FTS is also able to approve some activities, such as EVAs in the vicinity of the habitat, and escalate all other requests for approval to second tier support (STS). STS is ‘on call’ 24hrs/day, seven days per week. STS approval is required for site servicing, longer EVAs, and any activities not clearly defined by the mission rules. All mission support communications, except for emergency operations, are via a project-management system, and are subject to the 20-minute delay.

Mission A:

In March 2014, the first crew flew to Hawaii for a week of baseline measurements, as well as training on habitat systems, geological fieldwork, and study protocols. On March 27, the crew entered the habitat for the four-month-long mission. During the mission, the crew are collecting data on: - Cognitive function, - Team processes, - Team cohesion, - Intra-crew relationships, - Team member interactions, - Team performance.

The crew are also carrying out several opportunistic research projects. These are not part of the research funded by this grant, but do support NASA’s goals by raising the readiness level of technologies and protocols. The opportunistic research projects on this mission include: - Evaluating anti-microbial fabrics, - Growing plants using light of varying wavelength, - Evaluating 3-D printed surgical tools, - Tracking stress and exertion on extra-vehicular activities.

We have also begun the selection process for the next mission, which will start in October 2014 and last eight months.

Education and public outreach:

The crew and mission support have been very active in education and public outreach efforts. Regular updates are posted on the http://www.hi-seas.org site, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, crewmembers regularly post blogs and YouTube videos chronicling their mission. They respond directly to questions from students on a regular basis. The mission has also received a great deal of national and international media attention.

Results:

Because this is the first year of the grant, and we are still carrying out the first mission, we do not yet have even preliminary results to report. However, the data is coming in as expected, and crew compliance with study protocols is high.