Crew tension during a space station simulation

Two space simulation studies for the European Space Agency found that inter personal tension increased in the beginning, around the middle, and toward the end of the confinement. This article reports data from a third study wh ere this issue was further examined. Three subjects were confined in the MI R space station simulator in Moscow for 135 days. Communication analysis, p eer rating, questionnaires, and interviews were used to assess crew tension . The temporal pattern found in this study corresponds to the previous find ings. The beginning of the period was characterized by competition over lea dership. Decreased crew cohesion and aggression toward the mission control marked the middle of the confinement. In the final weeks, open conflicts em erged, and one member was socially excluded. Joking occurred frequently in the first half of the confinement, whereas negative emotional expressions i ncreased in the second half. These results might assist planners in anticip ating behavioral problems during space missions.