Survival Training, Astronauts and Chiggers
Developing psychological skills for spaceflight
“Whether the investment in our jungle and desert training was worth it is a moot point, because I doubt that what we learned there would have made the difference between life and death in any situation I can visualize. However, strictly from a personal point of view, there is a good deal of satisfaction to be derived from these “feel so good when they stop” situations. One cannot really appreciate being chigger-free without first sampling chiggers.” (Michael Collins, 1974)
In the era of Gemini and Apollo space missions, survival training was undertaken in the event that returning astronauts should become stranded in isolated environments. Being able to survive in hostile situations, such as in the depths of the jungle or in an open desert, was considered a priority in the case that it may take several days to locate and evacuate returning space-goers. In the current space era training for this purpose is less meaningful, especially as returning astronauts are closely monitored and can be extracted from their capsules soon after return to Earth.
Nevertheless, researchers and practitioners continue to emphasise the value of survival training activities for preparing humans for missions in space. Indeed, it may be that survival training offer advantages beyond the immediate skills that result from learning how to survive in meagre conditions. In the opening quote, Michael Collins highlights that such training is as relevant to developing personal insight as it is to the explicit skills it purports to train. Using ‘chiggers’ as an example, Collins indicates that the experience of living and working in deprived conditions creates an opportunity for learning and tells you much about a person’s resilience and their capacity to respond to stress.
The International Space Station Human Behavior and Performance Competency Model (ISS HBP) highlights a number of competencies (e.g., self-care and management, leadership, cross cultural understanding) that are relevant to coping with the demands and stress experienced during long-duration missions. In a recent NASA report, Nick Kanas and colleagues suggested that survival training activities, such as polar and desert expeditions, and mountain climbing, may help develop some of the ISS HBP competencies and foster crew cohesion and inter-group working that is central to small teams operating in the confines of space.
Given the potential value, it is not surprising that survival activities form part of the training undertaken by astronauts in preparation for future missions. For instance, as part of the Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behaviour and performance Skills (CAVES) programme, each year the European Space Agency sends a group of trainee astronauts into the Sardinian cave system to develop skills related to leadership, teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving. Ultimately, the aim of CAVES is to expose individuals to situations that mimic what might be experienced in space and foster the skills that are inherent to functioning optimally in challenging situations.
With the view to longer missions and voyages into deep space, the potential for breakdown in crew cooperation and communication has been signposted by NASA as a significant risk to safety, performance and health. As we make the transition from orbiting the Earth to exploring the solar system, crew training will become ever more important. On future interplanetary expeditions, the ability for individuals and teams to maintain positive interactions, effective group decision-making and cohesion over long periods will come to the fore.
Lessons from extreme environments
There remain many lessons that can be learnt from other groups living and working in challenging Earthly environments, which ultimately rely on the human survival instinct. Over the past few years, researchers have regularly examined the personal growth fostered as a result of operating in a range of challenging and demanding environments. Following polar expeditions, military postings in the Arctic and after space-simulation studies scientists have observed an array of positive developmental responses. This is not to say that these extreme environment experiences were not without their difficulties, but the stress faced was ultimately perceived as salutogenic or health-enhancing, as opposing to being debilitative.
In my own work, I have examined the benefits realised by individuals and groups participating in a variety of expedition activities. I have regularly received reports of positive reactions to expedition and particularly mountaineering environments. Among the many benefits, individuals talk about expeditions as a platform for creating resilience, enhancing perceptions of personal strength, seeing new opportunities, being better at relating to others and having a greater appreciation of life.
Being able to harness these adventurous and expedition environments as a context for developing cohesive and functional crews will continue to be relevant for space agencies as well as new commercial spaceflight operators. Applying coherent, rigorous and appropriate theoretical approaches to develop, test and evaluate the impact of such training is an important next step in this area. Whilst we have an insight into how extreme and challenging surival contexts can foster personal growth; why, when and for whom these changes are forthcoming is still a black box. Taking a scientific approach to designing, delivering and evaluating such programmes will ensure that the skills developed and reflections provided move beyond the joys of being ‘chigger-free’, to a better understanding of the utility of survival and extreme environment training. Ultimately, this type of research will support the pioneering people who venture out of this World, to Mars and beyond!
If you want to read more about research on expeditions and personal growth you can read one of our papers here. Or join us for more detailed learning at inextremis.teachable.com
