Astronaut Selection

International Space Station

• Astronaut Selection– ~ 3000-4000 applications reviewed every other year- Next

one will begin July 2007.– 100-120 brought to Houston for physical exam,

psychological screening and an Astronaut Selection Board interview

• Astronaut Selection Board determines skills needed for Pilots, Mission Specialists, & Educators

– 11- 25 are selected• Some applicants have returned for interviews 5 times before being

selected

– Those selected undergo 2 years of Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) training then are ready for technical assignment and flight assignment

• Psychological/psychiatric portion of astronaut selection– Select-out (psychopathology)

• Psychological Testing• 3 hour semi-structured interview with psychiatrist• Results go to Aerospace Medicine Board for

Qualified / Disqualified decision

– Select-in (suitability for long-term missions)• Psychological Testing • 2 hour semi-structured interview with psychologist• Results go to Astronaut Selection Board

• Critical proficiencies– Mental/emotional stability– Ability to perform under stressful conditions– Group living skills– Teamwork skills– Ability to cope with prolonged family separations– Motivation– Judgment/Decision Making– Conscientiousness– Communication skills– Leadership capability

Long Duration Missions

References

• http://astronauts.nasa.gov

• Santy, P.A. Choosing the Right Stuff: the Psychological Selection of Astronauts and Cosmonauts. Praeger Publishing, Westport, CT. 1994

TheEnd

More Psychological Characteristics

• Characteristics:• Focus on team• Group living skills• Leadership and ability to follow• Look out for themselves (self-care, self-

management)• Able to throttle back & keep an even pace• Cross-culturally aware• Adapt well to other cultures

Big Five Personality Factors• Extraversion (sometimes called Surgency). The broad dimension of

Extraversion encompasses such more specific traits as talkative, energetic, and assertive.

• Agreeableness. This dimension includes traits like sympathetic, kind, and affectionate.

• Conscientiousness. People high in Conscientiousness tend to be organized, thorough, and planful.

• Neuroticism (sometimes reversed and called Emotional Stability). Neuroticism is characterized by traits like tense, moody, and anxious.

• Openness to Experience (sometimes called Intellect or Intellect/Imagination). This dimension includes having wide interests, and being imaginative and insightful.

Personality Tests

• NEO-PI-R

• Short Form

• http://www.personalitytest.net/ipip/ipipneo120.htm

• Long Form

• http://www.personalitytest.net/ipip/ipipneo300.htm

What To Do Next

• Discuss in group what makes a good astronaut• Write down important characteristics• Each group member should take short form of NEO-PI-R

– Note: Your group members will see your results. Therefore, create a fictitious personality you would like to project to the group before you answer the questions. Then use your description of your new personality when you answer questions. This is for confidentiality purposes.

• Look at each others’ results and decide which profile will fit the astronaut selection criteria the most.– Outside of class: remember that personalities are fictitiously

created. Do not judge classmates on their results, because they did not answer questions based on their own personalities.