Behavioral Health & Performance
Contents
Introduction
Johnson Space Center (JSC), recognized globally as a leader in human spaceflight, brings world-renowned skills and unique capabilities to the forefront for human behavior in space. JSC’s behavioral health and performance experts are an integral part of advancing human spaceflight by understanding the physiological response of humans to extreme environments. Scientists, physicians and engineers conduct groundbreaking applied research, clinical testing, and biomedical research in our labs, on the International Space Station (ISS) and in spaceflight analog environments. This research aims to better characterize the effects on human behavior and psychology while living and working in space, offering valuable insights into the challenges posed by extreme conditions and facilitating the evaluation of potential countermeasures. Behavioral health experts utilize specialized environments to simulate extreme conditions, including altered day and night cycles, disproportionate workloads, social isolation, and close living quarters. This research provides crucial insights into the impact of these conditions on human behavior and performance, contributing to the development of effective strategies and support systems for astronauts and individuals facing similar challenges on Earth. We invite our partners to leverage our expertise and capabilities in understanding human behavior in the demanding environment of space so that together, we can push humankind’s presence further into the solar system.
Capabilities
Behavioral Health and Performance
Overview | The Behavioral Health and Performance (BHP) capability is responsible for understanding how the conditions of spaceflight affect the thinking and behavior of astronauts and teams, and for developing and testing interventions that help them survive and thrive in these conditions.
Details |
- Develop, assess, and validate measures of individual and team behavioral health and performance
- Develop, assess, and validate countermeasures to reduce the risks of working and living in isolated, confined, and extreme environments
- Research design, survey design, measurement of affect, behavior, cognition, and performance
- Develop tools for applied tasks for assessing performance
Space Medicine Operations
Overview | JSC provides specialized primary medical care for astronauts and expert medical and biomedical engineering support for all human spaceflight mission operations. JSC space medicine performs medical and behavioral selection and certification for flight, as well as surveillance care for former astronauts supported by the JSC spaceflight pharmacy and the wealth of data held by its spaceflight epidemiology group.
Details |
- Clinical and Space Occupational Medicine
- Behavioral Health and Performance
- Medical and Behavioral astronaut Selection and Certification for Flight
- Hyper and Hypobaric Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering/biomedical Flight controllers
- Space Medicine Subject Matter Expertise
- Astronaut Strength, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation
- Missions Operations and Product Development for Medical Operations
- Space Radiation Analysis
- Spaceflight Epidemiology and Surveillance
- Spaceflight Pharmacy
Astronauts/Crew Perspective
Overview | Astronauts provide a unique and vitally important perspective on spacecraft design, operations, and safety. NASA JSC Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) selects, protects, and provides flight crews for NASA human space flight missions. With hundreds of astronauts selected since the inaugural class in 1959, NASA’s Astronaut Corps has unparalleled experience in human spaceflight activities. Astronauts support NASA human space flight programs that require crew input and expertise.
Details |
- Evaluating, testing, and development of new vehicle designs, hardware, and operations
- Providing valuable operations experience to help ensure crew safety
- Advocating from the unique perspective of the end user and highlighting items that may impact mission safety and success
