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<\/a><\/figure>Strategies that support astronauts\u2019 mental health have been around since the early days of spaceflight, and a strong team at NASA is in place to support the behavioral health of crews on the International Space Station. This team facilitates services such as communication with family, regular provision of crew care packages, and guidance on the optimal use of onboard methods that seek to counter adverse effects of spaceflight. For instance, lighting systems that simulate daytime and nighttime can help maintain circadian rhythms in the dark of deep space. HFBP learns from the astronauts\u2019 current psychological support teams, while also planning a research strategy that aims to maintain this level of care in future missions beyond low Earth orbit.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Initially working through KBR as a research coordinator, Whitmire played a key role in establishing NASA\u2019s behavioral health and performance research group in 2006. Over time, this small group advocated for dedicated research facilities, leading to the creation of HERA in 2013 and a Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory in 2016. HFBP also initiates and oversees studies in Antarctica, and created and managed studies previously conducted through the Scientific International Research In a Unique terrestrial Station, or SIRIUS, a series of international missions that were held inside a ground-based analog facility in Moscow, Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Whitmire\u2019s role now involves managing projects aimed at mitigating risks for future spaceflight. She specializes in fatigue management, performance measurement, and strategies to counter behavioral changes that may result from spaceflight.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMy journey to NASA was quite unexpected,\u201d she said. \u201cWith a background in psychology and writing, I never imagined I\u2019d find an opportunity working in space exploration.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Whitmire began her career supporting the state of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center on organizational development. She joined NASA\u2019s HRP in 2006 as a research coordinator for the Human Health and Performance element.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Whitmire completed her bachelor\u2019s degree in English and Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. She then earned her master\u2019s in psychology, with a focus on experimental psychology, from the University of Texas in San Antonio, and years later, while continuing her full-time work with KBR, she completed her doctorate in psychology from Capella University.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Through HERA missions, HRP conducts studies that seek to evaluate how crew health and performance can be affected by stressors anticipated in future exploration missions.\u00a0 One example study, led by Dr. Grace Douglas, a food technology scientist at Johnson, explored a restricted food system in which meals were replaced with compact bars. Douglas found that limited food options were associated with reduced eating and caloric intake, as well as decrements in mood, highlighting the importance of an acceptable food system for mental well-being on long duration missions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Another study led by Dr. Leslie DeChurch, a professor of Communication and Psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., revealed that teams performed worse on a complex, conceptual task at the end of a mission compared to earlier on, highlighting the need to maintain team cohesion and performance over time. Still more studies seek to evaluate the effects of communications delays of up to five minutes each way between crew and HERA\u2019s mission control, which sits just outside the analog environment.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
As NASA prepares to launch the first crewed Artemis missions, HRP\u2019s behavioral health team is also incorporating studies to address Moon-specific challenges. The team is focused on the unique demands of lunar landings, such as high-tempo operations and seconds-long communication delays. The current goal is to increase the fidelity of HERA to future Artemis missions to ensure that more meaningful, operationally-relevant results emerge from future investigations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Through these studies, scientists learn valuable lessons about resilience and coping mechanisms that can benefit future space missions. Their findings emphasize the importance of maintaining social connections, adequate work-rest schedules, and opportunities for exercise to support mental health. Being intentional and reflective with gratitude and positive emotions has also shown significant value, Whitmire notes, adding that during her time at NASA, she has learned more about the importance of relationships, communication, and resolving problems together as a team.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall, our goal is to ensure that astronauts are well-prepared for and supported through the psychological demands of space exploration. We seek to apply these insights to improve mental health support for everyone,\u201d Whitmire said. \u201cAll of us can learn from these crew members in their periods of isolation to get insights on how to live happier, healthier lives here on Earth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> From navigating the depths of the human mind to exploring the vastness of space, Dr. Alexandra (Sandra) Whitmire helps lead research on the effects of prolonged isolation and confinement as NASA prepares to voyage to the Moon and eventually Mars.\u00a0 Whitmire is the lead scientist for the Human Factors and Behavioral Performance element (HFBP) within [\u2026] Continue reading
\nSumer Loggins <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"