INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS AND CIRCADIAN FACTORS ON CREW PERFORMANCE, BEHAVIOR, AND STRESS PHYSIOLOGY

摘要

Future long-duration space exploration and colonization missions will present unique challenges to crew behavioralhealth and performance. Specifically, factors such as autonomous operations, heavy workload, and circadiandisruptions may interact to affect performance, behavior, and biopsychosocial function. Here, we briefly summarizethe results of experiments from our laboratory-based research program on the effects of bounded autonomy andconclude with new data exploring the interactive effects of scheduled vs. autonomous crew management andcircadian phase under extended 12-hr "missions" conducted during the day (0900-2100 hr) or night (2100-0900 hr)in well-trained 3-person crews engaged in an interdependent computer-based planetary surface exploration task.Crew task performance significantly increased, subjective and linguistic indicators of psychosocial adaptation wereenhanced, and group-level behavioral unfairness was significantly attenuated under autonomous missionmanagement regardless of circadian phase and significant subjective fatigue. Physiological stress reactivity wassignificantly reduced under autonomous management, but only during day missions. Overall, the resultsconsistently support the potential benefits of autonomous mission management on crew performance, psychosocialadaptation, cooperative propensity, and biobehavioral functioning.