Psychological training of NASA astronauts for extended missions

The success of operational teams working in remote and hostile environments rests in large part on adequate preparation of those teams prior to emplacement in field settings. Psychological training, directed at the maintenance of crew health and performance becomes increasingly important as space missions grow in duration and complexity. Methods: Topics to be discussed include: the conceptual framework of psychological training; needs analysis; content and delivery options; methods of assessing training efficacy; use of testbeds and analogies and the relationship of training to crew selection and real-time support activities. Results and Conclusions: This paper will discuss the psychological training approach being developed at the NASA/JSC Behavior and Performance Laboratory. This approach will be compared and contrasted with those underway in the U.S. Department of Defense and in other space agencies.