Space Psychology & Human Factors – Celia Avila-Rauch

Abstract

Psychology is a science that studies the human mind and its functions, primarily those that affect human behaviour. Psychology promotes productive and effective communication, avoids unnecessary conflicts and regulates our mood, motivation, resilience and self-esteem. Psychology explores the concepts of perception, attention, emotion, motivation, brain functioning, intelligence, thinking, personal relationships, consciousness and unconsciousness. The importance of human adaptation to different environments has drawn the attention of psychologists to mental health and has led to the discovery of new areas of scientific research focused on the aerospace and aeronautical environment.

Space psychology refers to the application of psychology to evaluate human spaceflight. It includes the areas of industrial and organisational psychology to team selection, individual and team mental preparedness, team training, ongoing psychological support, and the application of human factors and ergonomics to spacecraft construction to ensure good habitability. Space psychology is focused on more than just pathology or dysfunctions but on personal development and optimisation of personal resources. We need to understand the psychological and social dimensions of space teams and where they will live during space missions.

Analog missions based on isolation habitats may provide information about how extreme environmental conditions and habitat design can affect our performance, mental health, and physiology. The members of the analogue mission have to deal with technologies, ergonomics and communications. Cognitive and Emotional processes in high-performance teams refer to careers that require a high level of interaction with engineering and technology, as well as with psychology and ergonomics, physical and psychological changes due to the conditions they are subjected to (altitude, pressures, workload, atmosphere) (Kanas et al., 2010). These adverse influences may negatively impact the performance of mission teams both on the ground and in flight. Every astronaut activity is aligned with national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) standards.

Missions represent a challenge but, at the same time, a high health risk, especially in the psychological sphere. For this reason, prior preparation is required, simulating different scenarios. For example, isolation, confinement, radiation, reduced water consumption, analogue environments, lack of gravity, distance from Earth, etc., will increase the prevalence and severity of some affective, cognitive, physical and behavioural symptoms. We must understand that space tasks require a balance between people and machines. Therefore, space scientists see the world from a different perspective.

Keywords: Human Factors, Human Behaviour, Psychology and Performance

EuroSpaceHub, LUNEX EuroMoonMars, International Moonbase Alliance, NeuroTech Lab, Space Renaissance International

An essential bio

CELIA AVILA-RAUCH, Psychotherapist-Coach-Supervisor, Aviation and Space Psychologist, Platzl 2, 80331 Munich Germany  +49 1707327979

www.windrose-coaching.de www.windroseglobaladvisors.de  windrosecoaching@outlook.com

Trained at University of Girona (UdG), Master in Psychology Autonomous University Barcelona(UAB) Clinical psychologist and active cognitive behavioural psychotherapist. Master’s Degree in Behavioural Medicine (UAB); Research Proficiency in Psychiatry and Medical Psychology (UAB). European Certificate of Psychotherapy (EUROPSY), World Certificate of Psychotherapy (WCP). Coach certificate. Certificate as Supervisor of medical psychotherapists and psychologists with a cognitive behavioural orientation by the official Bavarian school of psychotherapy in Munich, Germany. Specialised in emotional intelligence skills by the EISkills Group of Yale University, MSCEIT ™ Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Certificate in Emotional Intelligence. Lecturer at the International University IU in Psychology in Munich. Certified as Aviation Psychologist by the Psychology Chamber of Eastern Andalusia. Actively working with the GT of Madrid and Barcelona Chamber of Psychologists in Aviation Psychology. Aerospace psychologist, at Space Psychology department coordinator Lunex – EuroMoonMars in the Netherlands. Trainer of Alba Emoting™ and Breath Xpress techniques. Researcher at the University of Cadiz in the Department of Neuropsychology – Human Factors – Neurotechlab. Member of Barcelona, Madrid and Munich psychologists’ chambers. Since 2020, I have been researching psychological and interpersonal issues affecting people working in space.  space simulation mission. My book includes The dark and light sides of leadership and collaboration at the book with Jara Pascual, chapter 4 of the book Innovation and cooperation in the digital era, “The secrets of collaboration – using emotional intelligence for innovation and collaboration.” and several professional publications in clinical psychology and space psychology. For a month, I participated in a space simulation mission at HI-SEAS Hawaii as a pilot project for space psychology, which is an ongoing project. My thirty years of experience and professional work in clinical psychology, psychotherapy and coaching with a cognitive-emotional approach and personality development in three different countries have shown me how important our emotions, actions and behaviours are for our existence. Currently, I work in my practice as a psychotherapist and run my own coaching company, “Windrose Global Advisors”, At the International University of Munich. I teach “Introduction to Psychology”, and at the Master of Aviation Psychology in Spain, at the Department of Aviation Psychology of the Colegio de Psicólogos de Madrid, I teach “Cognitive and Emotional Processes in Aeronautics”. An active member of the Madrid Aviation Psychology Working Group of the College of Psychologists and the Barcelona Aviation Working Group. An active member of EuroSpaceHub in the Netherlands as a space psychologist. Member of EAAP (European Association of Aviation Psychology), member of SEPAC (asociación Española Psicología Aeroespacial y Aeronáutica Civil ) and Member of the SRI (Space Renaissance International).

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