The Effects of Training on Anxiety and Task Performance in Simulated Suborbital Spaceflight

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Medicine
• Human Factors Engineering
• Spaceflight Physiology

Background:

• Anxiety in commercial spaceflight can impact mission success and safety.
• Layperson responses to simulated spaceflight stressors require investigation.
• Understanding training effects on tolerance to acceleration is crucial for space tourism.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of varied-duration training programs on layperson anxiety and task performance during simulated suborbital spaceflight.
• To identify demographic, hemodynamic, or other factors associated with high anxiety or poor tolerance to G-force exposure.
• To determine the effectiveness of anxiety-mitigation training in centrifuge simulations.

Main Methods:

• 148 volunteers underwent 2-7 centrifuge exposures simulating suborbital spaceflight.
• Training programs varied in duration (1 hour to 2 days) and complexity.
• Subjects performed tasks, including a simulated emergency, under simulated launch and re-entry acceleration profiles (+Gz and +Gx).

Main Results:

• Shorter training programs correlated with increased hemodynamic responses.
• Single-directional G-force training did not significantly enhance tolerance.
• History of motion sickness was linked to subjects opting out of centrifuge runs.

Conclusions:

• High-fidelity and sequential training exposures appear most effective for improving tolerance to physical and psychological flight stressors.
• Demographic and hemodynamic variables did not predict anxiety-related responses to simulated spaceflight.
• Further research is needed to optimize training protocols for commercial spaceflight participants.