Our study of increased crewmember autonomy was conducted through the Mars 500 Program at the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow. The Mars 500 Program is designed to study the performance and interactions of a group of six individuals confined for 520 days (and began in June 2010). The lower floor of the simulation habitat contains living and laboratory areas for the crew, and the upper floor is a mock-up of the Mars surface on which the crew can simulate geological and other planetary activities. We participated in a 105 day pilot simulation from March 31 to July 14, 2009.

In order to study the impact of high versus low crew autonomy on crewmembers and mission control personnel, we studied the 6 men in the isolation chamber, along with 18 outside individuals who monitored their activities in a simulated mission control. During the first 10 weeks of the mission, the crew interacted with mission control under a low autonomy condition, where the latter developed the work schedule and communicated with the former in real time. During the last 5 weeks, a high autonomy condition was instituted, where crewmembers planned and revised their work schedule and where a 40-minute Mars-like communication delay occurred with the outside monitors.

Our methodology was similar to that used in our previous on-orbit studies involving the Mir and International Space Station, where we evaluated mood and group interpersonal climate, both in space and in mission control. After signing informed consent, crew and mission control subjects participating in the 105 day simulation completed a weekly study questionnaire that included items from the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and two group climate measures, the Group Environment Scale (GES) and the Work Environment Scale (WES). From these measures, weekly mean subscale scores were calculated that gave us an indication of psychological constructs such as tension and other emotional states, group cohesion, and the task and support roles of the leader. Additionally, we constructed and piloted six new weekly questions that attempted to measure crewmember individual and group work planning freedom, work performance efficiency, and work performance accuracy.

The results suggested that high work autonomy was well-received by the crew, mission goals were accomplished, and there were no adverse effects. During the high autonomy period, crewmember mood and self direction were reported as being better, but mission control personnel reported more anxiety and work role confusion. Despite scoring lower in work pressure overall, the four Russian crewmembers reported a greater rise in work pressure from low to high autonomy than the two Europeans. In contrast, the European crewmembers reported a greater rise in negative dysphoric mood in going from low to high autonomy, whereas the Russians' emotional state remained the same or slightly improved. Work freedom was rated slightly higher during high autonomy, but work performance was about the same overall, although Russian scores increased and European scores decreased on all four performance measures.

Increased autonomy can be safe and advantageous. It is time to study the effects of high autonomy with larger subject samples during on-orbit space missions (e.g., to the International Space Station) in order to prepare for future deep space exploratory missions, where high autonomy will be the norm.

In 2006, we were directed by NASA/Johnson Space Center to study the impact of high autonomy on crewmembers and monitoring personnel involved with a variety of space simulation missions conducted on Earth in an effort to prepare for expeditionary missions to Mars and other distant locations. The current ground simulation study was conducted through the Mars 500 Program at the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow. The MARS 500 Program is designed to study the performance and interactions of a group of six individuals confined for 520 days. We participated in a 105 day pilot simulation. The Specific Aims of our study were: to assess the impact of higher crewmember autonomy on crew and mission control mood and group interpersonal climate (using previous questionnaire scales), and to assess crewmember individual and group work planning freedom, work performance efficiency, and work performance accuracy (using newly constructed pilot measures).

Results from this study indicated that increased crew autonomy can be safe and advantageous. It is time to study the effects of high autonomy with larger subject samples during on-orbit space missions (e.g., to the International Space Station) in order to prepare for future deep space exploratory missions, where high autonomy will be the norm.

Additionally, some of findings contributed to recommendations regarding the recent Chilean miner isolation event [see below].

References

1. Kanas, N. Notes for the Underground. Summary of NASA research as it applies to the trapped Chilean miners. The New York Times Op-Ed Section, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/opinion/30kanas.html?_r=1 , August 29, 2010.

This project will evaluate the mood, interpersonal interactions and performance of the crew members and mission control personnel in the 105-Day mission. These groups will be studied under two conditions: low crew autonomy (where the work schedule is planned by mission control, much like current space missions) and high crew autonomy (where the crew members plan and troubleshoot their own work schedule, much like what would occur during exploration missions). The project will also evaluate the experiment's impact on mission control and on the crew-ground relationship.

It is hypothesized that crew member mood, group interaction, and performance will be as good or better during high autonomy periods compared to low autonomy periods. Particularly, crew members are anticipated to show more positive affect, greater cohesion and less work pressure in the high autonomy condition.

Additional hypotheses will be tested relating to:

Presence or absence of group stages during the mission scenario, particularly increased tension and decreased cohesion in the third quarter;

Presence of displacement during the isolation period;

Cultural differences among crew and ground personnel; and

Relationship of the task and support roles of the leader to group cohesion.

Before, during and after the isolation, the crew member and the mission control personnel will complete a weekly Study Questionnaire, which takes approximately 20 minutes. The questionnaire is composed of three well-validated, reliable measures that have been used extensively in previous research: the Profile of Mood States, the Group Environment Scale, and the Work Environment Scale. A Critical Incident Log and new questions about autonomy and individual and group performance are also included as part of the weekly questionnaire.

The information gained through this study will inform long-duration mission planners of the psychosocial and work issues that will be relevant to planning such missions. Knowing how a crew is likely to react behaviorally and psychologically to a condition of high autonomy will also be advantageous for mission control personnel.

The mission took place from March 31 to July 14, 2009. Data were collected and sent to us in August. We currently are analyzing the data. We expect to be finished with our analyses and to have written up the findings by the end of the grant period.