Evaluating Risk Factors and Biomarkers for Adaptation and Resilience to Spaceflight

The goal of this study is to obtain novel information that will be used to help identify individuals who are resilient to the stressors of prolonged human spaceflight, thereby encouraging the successful completion of exploration missions and the preservation of health over the life of an astronaut. This study leverages the National Institute of Mental Health (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 environments. This study focuses specifically on differences among participants in their tolerance of and adaptability to simulated conditions of spaceflight such as confinement, work, monotony, and social/physical isolation that impact behavioral health and performance.