ABSTRACT
NASA’s Human Research Program identifies five principal hazards of human spaceflight: radiation, gravity fields, hostile and closed environments, isolation and confinement, and increased distance from Earth. Insofar as individual and team behavioral health, performance, and adaptation are regulated by the brain, the direct and indirect effects of the physical long-duration space exploration (LDSE) environment on the neurobehavioral mechanisms mediating behavioral, psychological, and social functioning are worthy of consideration by all stakeholders and supporters of human space exploration. First, we provide a selective overview of key neurobehavioral systems underlying individual and team behavioral health, performance, and adaptation in extreme operational settings. We then review each of the five spaceflight hazards and consider how they may affect mission success through direct and indirect action on these neurobehavioral systems. Given the distinctively challenging physical risks of LDSE missions, our overarching goal is to encourage integrated, multidisciplinary approaches to research and operations that consider the interaction of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors in support of LDSE crews.
