What happens when astronauts on extended missions become really angry at a crewmate, or seriously melancholy? In the small, isolated confines of a spaceship what can they do?
A team of researchers under the auspices of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)--a consortium of institutions studying health risks related to long-duration space flight--is creating a smart medical system designed to help distant space farers resolve or mitigate biopsychosocial upsets. The researchers project the system could also benefit those on the ground working in extreme or highly stressful environments, including scientists working at polar and underwater research centers, or even overcrowded laboratories.
"All of us face conflicts and need to work out problems, ... but on long-term space missions, one's options are severely limited--you can't just take some distance or go on vacation," notes former shuttle astronaut and co-principal investigator Jay C. Buckey Jr., professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical ...
