The Socio-Psychological Impact of Architectural Spaces in Long-Duration Missions 2003-01-2537

The architectural design of a confined space during long duration missions and its relationship with psychological and physiological stressors are the subject of research and analysis for this paper.

This paper aims to emphasize that habitat design constitutes one of the psychological countermeasures recommended for exploratory space missions. If we assume that manned spaceships attain the highest possible degree of technical perfection in order to withstand the harsh environmental conditions in space, then there is another risk for long duration space missions lying in the crew’s performance and it’s unpredictability. Crew composition and well-being of the individual crewmembers, their physical and psychological health and their ability to work well and perform smoothly for an extended period of time these factors become key criteria for a successful mission, though their importance is often underestimated. Crises and conflicts among the crew may jeopardize an entire mission a mission to Mars, for instance. A well-designed habitat plays an essential role in this context. In combination with other factors, such as adequate training, it contributes to minimizing the risk of “human failure”.