Bowen_1999abstr

 

Crew Selections for Long Distance Voyages: Lessons for Mars Missions from Polar Expeditions and the Space Program

 

Wayne Bowen, Ph. D.

Assistant Professor of History

Ouchita Baptist University

 

Randall Wight, Ph. D.

Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies

Professor of Psychology

Ouchita Baptist University

 

This paper examines the historical record of expeditions to the polar regions as well as the experience of the US and Soviet/Russian space programs, to answer the question: what factors, beyond technical skills and education, should go into the crew selection for long space missions, especially the eventual trip to Mars? What decisions went into the selection of crews for the discovery of the North and South Pole? How did NASA decide who had the "Right Stuff" for shuttle missions and living in Skylab? What did the Soviet Union consider when selecting Yuri Gagarin and the crews of Mir? Is it possible to develop a model of crew selection criteria for long-distance voyages which will increase the probability of success, and does the historical record support this model?

 

Through interdisciplinary research using government documents, memoirs, biographies, secondary works, and statistical sources, this study will examine the psychology of crew dynamics on these voyages, analogous to future missions to Mars, focusing especially on the selection of leaders and personal compatibility on extended treks into isolated and hostile environment, such as the Arctic, Antarctic and near-earth orbit. We also hope to look at the historical record of groups which wintered over in the Antarctic, especially during the early years of modern expeditions, which will provide us additional evidence to answer questions about long-term residence of humans in isolated conditions, such as on Mars and other interplanetary bodies.

 

Our initial hypothesis leads us to conclude that, aside from necessary technical training, focused on the particular challenges of the environment of the missions, the most essential considerations for crew selection are personal compatibility, long-term unit training, a clear command structure, and common cultural background. These findings may have serious consequences for the expected internationalization of the first expeditions to Mars, and clearly merit additional research.