80NSSC17K0644

NASA's vision for successful long-duration exploration missions (LDEM) depends on optimizing human performance adaptability and resiliency to reduce individual and crew behavioral risks.

To date, the major emphasis in optimizing astronauts for their tolerance to prolonged spaceflight has involved human health and performance countermeasures, as well as technologies and tools to ensure safety during exploration. However, considerable evidence suggests that there are individual differences among astronauts in their vulnerabilities to the various stressors of spaceflight.

The goal of the proposed NSCOR is to obtain novel information that will help identify individuals who are resilient to the stressors of prolonged human spaceflight, thereby ensuring successful completion of exploration missions and the preservation of astronaut health over the life of the astronaut.

This NSCOR project leverages the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDOC) heuristic framework to conduct experimental studies to identify biological domains (molecular circuitry physiology) and behavioral domains that relate to individual adaptation and resiliency (as well as behavioral vulnerability) in spaceflight-relevant confined and extreme environments (ICC and ICE).

The NSCOR focuses specifically on differences among astronauts in their tolerance of and adaptability to simulated conditions of prolonged spaceflight that impact behavioral health and performance. The NSCOR will provide novel information on the extent to which behavioral and biological factors can be identified that predict astronauts who can maintain positive mood, proactive social processes, a high level of performance, and personal well-being while coping with confinement, meaningless work, limited social support, and living in the extreme environmental conditions of space.

By utilizing the RDOC framework, three different human confinement analogs, and an animal model, the NSCOR will generate data converging on biomarkers of neurobehavioral and neurobiological resilience to the spaceflight conditions. Such a discovery will help in selecting astronauts most likely to maintain human health and performance during long-duration exploration missions.

Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania

NASA''S VISION FOR SUCCESSFUL LONG-DURATION EXPLORATION MISSIONS (LDEM) DEPENDS ON OPTIMIZING HUMAN PERFORMANCE ADAPTABILITY AND RESILIENCY TO REDUCE INDIVIDUAL AND CREW BEHAVIORAL RISKS. TO DATE THE MAJOR EMPHASIS IN OPTIMIZING ASTRONAUTS FOR THEIR TOLERANCE TOPROLONGED SPACEFLIGHT HAS INVOLVED HUMAN HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE COUNTERMEASURES AS WELL AS TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS TO ENSURE SAFETYDURING EXPLORATION. HOWEVER CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AMONG ASTRONAUTS IN THEIR VULNERABILITIES TO THE VARIOUS STRESSORS OF SPACEFLIGHT. THE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED NSCOR IS TO OBTAIN NOVEL INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RESILIENT TO THE STRESSORS OF PROLONGED HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT THEREBY ENSURING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF EXPLORATION MISSIONS AND THE PRESERVATION OF ASTRONAUT HEALTH OVER THE LIFE OF THE ASTRONAUT. THIS NSCOR PROJECT LEVERAGES THE NIMH RESEARCH DOMAIN CRITERIA (RDOC) HEURISTIC FRAMEWORK TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES TO IDENTIFY BIOLOGICAL DOMAINS (MOLECULAR CIRCUITRY PHYSIOLOGY) AND BEHAVIORAL DOMAINS THAT RELATE TO INDIVIDUAL ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY (AS WELL AS BEHAVIORAL VULNERABILITY) IN SPACEFLIGHT-RELEVANT CONFINED AND EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS (ICC AND ICE). THE NSCOR FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON DIFFERENCES AMONG ASTRONAUTS IN THEIR TOLERANCE OF AND ADAPTABILITY TO SIMULATED CONDITIONS OF PROLONGED SPACEFLIGHT THAT IMPACT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE. THE NSCOR WILL PROVIDE NOVEL INFORMATION ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH BEHAVIORAL AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS CAN BE IDENTIFIED THAT PREDICT ASTRONAUTS WHO CAN MAINTAIN POSITIVE MOOD PROACTIVE SOCIAL PROCESSES A HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE AND PERSONAL WELL- BEING WHILE COPING WITH CONFINEMENT MEANINGLESS WORK LIMITED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND LIVING IN THE EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF SPACE. BY UTILIZING THE RDOC FRAMEWORK THREE DIFFERENT HUMAN CONFINEMENT ANALOGS AND AN ANIMAL MODEL THE NSCOR WILL GENERATE DATA CONVERGING ON BIOMARKERS OF NEUROBEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL RESILIENCE TO THE SPACEFLIGHT CONDITIONS. SUCH A DISCOVER WILL HELP IN SELECTING ASTRONAUTS MOST LIKELY TO MAINTAIN HUMAN HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE DURING LONG-DURATION EXPLORATION MISSIONS.

43.003 - Exploration

Shared Services Center (NSSC) [NASA]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6205 United States

Single Zip Code

NOT APPLICABLE

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/04/21 to 12/31/23 and the total obligations have increased 3988% from $100,000 to $4,088,467.