Space psychology

30 October 2008

Professor Andy Tattersall, Director of the School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, has recently returned from a meeting with a small group of researchers from around Europe to consider human performance issues for astronauts in long distance space flights.

The group will make recommendations for research and advise the European Space Agency on psychological and physiological issues for humans in space, on topics including sleep and fatigue, performance, social isolation, skill maintenance, exercise and nutrition, team behaviour and problems associated with stressors such as microgravity, confinement and radiation.

Andy was selected for the team because of his interests in the areas of human performance under stress, workload management and human adaptation to demanding situations.

Andy commented: "The most fascinating aspect of the meeting was being able to apply one's knowledge, developed in relation to terrestrial situations, to unique and relatively novel situations in space."

The meeting, held in the Netherlands, was the first of a series of five to be held over the next two years at various location across Europe.