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Publication AbstractsIntercultural Crew Issues in Long-Duration SpaceflightNorbert O. Kraft, Terence J. Lyons, and Heidi BinderAviat Space Environ Med 2003; 74:575-8 AbstractBefore long-duration flights with international crews can be safely undertaken, potential interpersonal difficulties will need to be addressed. Crew performance breakdown has been recognized by the American Institute of Medicine, in scientific literature, and in popular culture. However, few studies of human interaction and performance in confined, isolated environments exist, and the data pertaining to those studies are mostly anecdotal. Many incidents involving crew interpersonal dynamics, those among flight crews, as well as between flight crews and ground controllers, are reported only in non-peer reviewed books and newspapers. Consequently, due to this lack of concrete knowledge, the selection of astronauts and cosmonauts has focused on individual rather than group selection. Additional selection criteria such as interpersonal and communication competence, along with intercultural training, will have a decisive impact on future mission success. Furthermore, industrial psychological research has demonstrated the ability to select a group based on compatibility. With all this in mind, it is essential to conduct further research on heterogeneous, multi-national crews including selection and training for long-duration space missions.Keywords: long-duration spaceflight, missions, mission control, culture. Information on subscribing, and on obtaining copies of an article or of an entire issue. Table of Contents for Volume 74, Number 5 of the ASEM journal.
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