ICEscape: Isolated, Confined, and Extreme Space Crew Augmented Performance Enhancement

Long-duration human space flight is an example of an isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environment. Notable parallels can be drawn between the conditions inherent to space flight and those encountered within austere terrestrial work settings, such as deep-sea exploration, polar expeditions, or remote mining operations. These extreme settings can give rise to a array of psychosocial challenges, including isolation, boredom, sleep disruptions, mood fluctuations, and cognitive deterioration.

While historical and more recent human space missions have informed us about physiological and psychosocial consequences of space flight, upcoming missions to deep space, asteroids, the Moon, and Mars present unparalleled challenges. These include extended journey durations, greater distance from Earth, communication delays, limited crew rotations, cargo deliveries, and evacuation options, confined living quarters, and prolonged radiation and microgravity exposure. Compounded by inaccessibility to terrestrial mental health support systems and constraints on psychosocial measures due to vessel restrictions and cargo weight limitations, these extreme circumstances underscore the need for innovative psychosocial interventions (NASA, 2023; Doarn, Polk, & Shepanek, 2019).

This study aims to investigate the impact of a bespoke nature-based Virtual Reality (VR) experience based on the principles of positive psychology, ecopsychology and the Overviwe Effect on emotional states and arousal levels. Additionally, it examines whether these effects can serve as mediators for enhancing team collaboration and performance among professionals operating within demanding and austere work settings.

The focal subjects of this research are astronauts and analog astronauts. By contextualising space flight within the broader landscape of austere occupations, a comprehensive understanding of multifaceted implications for human performance and well-being within ICE settings can emerge, offering cross-disciplinary insights and potential psychosocial solutions.