Preventing Meltdowns in Space

Anyone who has read even a little bit of science fiction is familiar with the idea of one of the most ominous threats to space exploration: the idea that an astronaut will lose his mind and attack other astronauts or destroy the mission itself. It’s a real enough threat that NASA is developing technology to prevent emotional meltdowns before they happen. Katie Drummond reports:

NASA is conducting its own research on the issue. Last week, the agency handed out a $1.3 million contract to psychologists at Michigan State University to further the development of a psychosocial sensing “badge” that astronauts would wear during their mission to the red planet. The pocket-sized badges, says project leader Steve Kozlowski, PhD, will be designed to track physiological markers of an astronaut’s psychological health — like blood pressure and heart rate — as well as the dynamics of their social interactions. “You can never ensure that nothing bad will happen,” Kozlowski said. “But a coherent means of assessing interactions and stress … is one way to protect against any negative outcomes.”